That Mistress: Smile
by TwoFacedPierrot
Summary: She lost everything, but she still had something that not many possess. What else? She had TWO demons for butlers. Anime based. Takes place years after the end of season 2. slight CielxOC
1. Prologue

**My first Kuroshitsuji fanfic! =DD Random idea, random story. Characters might somewhat be ooc. **

**Reviews very much appreciated!**

**Kuroshitsuji belongs to Yana Toboso. **

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"Faster, you brats! We ain't got all day!" a man bellowed as he swung a whip to the ground. A group of children, the eldest barely at the age of fifteen, wore shackles on their wrists and ankles as they did the labour. Hours of back-breaking tasks with little food and water had left some of them sickly. As time passed, their energy faded, leading to eventual death.

**...**

A storm was coming that night. Thunder sounded, echoing through the silent night. A child, about twelve, sat on the cold stone floor along with other children. She had reddish brown hair, and eyes of a deadman. She hugged her knees close to her chest as she waited for the guards to serve the daily meal.

Finally, the awaited moment came. Several men, dressed in full battle armor save the helmet, entered the chamber with pots of edible misture. The slave children formed a line and took turns for their food. The child with russet hair joined her brethren in the line.

Holding out her empty plate, she waited for the guard to scoop in her meal. Unfortunately, a day of hard work had left her exhausted, thus losing strength on her grip, the precious food slipped from the girl's hands. White watery gunk splattered on the floor and all over the man in armor.

The boiling mixture fell into the chinks of his armor and burned his skin, causing him to roar in rage. Lifting a huge hand, the guard grabbed the child by her hair and with much force, threw her across the room. She winced from the pain, but dared not scream for it may anger the guard further.

Curling herself up into a ball, she sat at the corner alone as she watched the other children fill their stomachs with the given food. It took all her willpower not to break into tears of frustration and anger.

"Here, you can have some of mine.." a voice sounded from above. Looking up, the girl saw an older boy, smiling widely as he handed out his leftover food.

"Alex?" she said. "I can't.. Its your food."

"Well, you still need something to eat, don't you?" Alex said.

The girl shook her head.

"Its alright. This is my punishment for being careless."

Heaving a sigh, Alex scooped up a spoon of food and stuffed it into the surprised girl's mouth.

"Just eat, dummy..." he said.

The other child flushed and said nothing more. Reluctantly, she took the plate from the boy and ate quietly.

Suddenly, the chamber door slammed open and a muscular man appeared.

"No. 17! Come here! The boss wishes to speak to you!"

Alex stood up. Seventeen was his slave number. The other children watched as he made his way towards the place that separated them from the outside world. Before leaving, her flashed a confident smile to his companion, telling her everything would be alright. Then, the wooden chamber door closed.

The slave girl waited. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, and days turned to weeks. Alex never came back. One day a guard opened the chamber door, tossed in a ragged item, and slammed it shut. Children neared the item, curious to see what it was. But then, curiosity turned to sorrow when they found out. It was the hat that Alex had always wore. The boy himself was clearly dead.

Overwhelmed with grief, the russet haired girl sat in her usual corner and gazed outside the small opening high on the walls. She thought of her life ever since her parents were murdered. She was robbed of her family and property, thrown into humiliation, and now; into slavery. Worst of all, the only light in her days of sufferings was dead.

Grief turned to anger and hatred. What did all the children here do to deserve all these? What did they do wrong?

"Hey.. I heard that if you make a deal with the devil, you can get anything you wish for.." a group of children nearby said among themselves.

_Summoning the devil, huh?_ The girl thought. _What difference does it make?_

That night, everyone was asleep- except for the child herself. She stared blankly outside, with the memories of her beloved flooding into her mind.

"Oi, you!"

The sudden noise in the silent chamber almost caused the girl to jump from shock. Spinning around, she saw two slender figures. Under the moonlight, she could vaguely make out the appearance of a boy and a tall young man, standing before her. The boy wore classic English-styled clothes, while the man wore a simple butler outfit. Both would've looked like normal humans- except, they had glowing red eyes.

"Demons, I presume?" the slave girl said emotionlessly. Nothing mattered to her anymore, not even if she was being consumed by demons.

"Well?" the younger demon demanded, not even bothering to answer her first question.

"..Well what?"

"You summoned me, didn't you?"

The girl cocked her head aside.

"I summoned you? Yes, maybe, but what can you do?"

The boy smirked.

"Your hatred had attracted us here. With such an immense emotion, perhaps what you seek for is revenge?"

The female child shrugged.

"I just want all this to end…. All this suffering…"

"Then shall we form a contract? The exchange is simple. In return of my services to you, you will let me have your soul."

Thinking for a while, the girl answered;

"I agree to those conditions. Until I find the people who took everything from me, you are never to leave my side."

A smile crept onto the young demon's face.

"Understood, milady." He said as he lifted a hand onto his left chest and bowed.

Slowly, a mark appeared on the palm of the girl's right hand.

"That," he said pointing towards her hand, "is the sign of our contract."

"…What are your names?" the girl randomly asked without taking a single glance at her palm.

"..I'm Ciel… Ciel Phantomhive." Replied the boy. "This here is my butler, Sebastian Michealis." The other demon bowed formally when he was introduced.

"A demon butler for a demon butler?" the girl scoffed.

"Laugh all you want, human." Ciel said coldly. "He swore his loyalty to me.. before I became this.."

"You mean.. you used to be human?" the slave asked.

Ciel faltered. Still, he managed to hold his chin up high to show that he was superior.

"Enough of these useless blabbering. Give me your or-"

"Wait.. if Sebastian's a demon too then.. I want to make another contract with him." The girl said, cutting the demon off.

The young demon snorted.

"Sebastian's _my_ butler."

"Well, two's better than one right? Besides.. he looks hungy.." The child studied the tall demon clad in black. "He hasn't eaten in a while, has he?"

The demon Sebastian merely smiled.

"Yes.. it _has_ been a while.."

"Care to be my second butler?" the girl asked without the slightest hesitation. "That way at least, the two of you might just be able to subside your hungers."

Ciel stared at her in disbelief. To think that a human would willingly offer her own soul to two demons she just met.

"What? Sebastian! You can't possibly-"

He was silenced with a gloved hand clamped over his mouth. The older demon wore a satisfied smug smile as he bowed.

"I am honoured to be offered such a task by the mistress of my master."

"Its settled then."

"What are your orders, milady?"

The girl's expression immediately changed.

"Ciel, Sebastian… I order the two of you.. to get me out of here, and help me reclaim what I had lost."

Her orders were responded with a formal bow from the two demons.

_"Yes, my lady."_


	2. Chapter 1: The Mistress

**Chapter 2! =D**

**Sorry for the grammar mistakes and things like that (I'm Malaysian Chinese, classic English is NOT the way i always communicate =O)**

**Kuroshitsuji does not belong to me. **

**Reviews really REALLY appreciated. **

* * *

A butler with jet black hair and crimson eyes entered a bedroom, pushing a silvery cart with him. He was careful not to make the slightest sound for he might wake the one who was still in slumber. Swiftly but skillfully, he brewed some tea with the ingredients he brought. While waiting for the tea to boil, he proceeded to draw the curtains that concealed the huge windows in the room. Then, he neared the bed and gently shook the sleeping one.

"Its time to wake up, Young Mistress…" he whispered.

The slumbering one merely turned away and grumbled.

"…Five more minutes…"

Heaving a sigh, the butler yanked the sheets off the bed, revealing the slender figure of a girl with russet hair.

"I'm afraid you can't do that, milady," he said with a smile. "We already are behind schedule."

The girl groaned and tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes.

"You're so mean, Sebastian.." she mumbled as she struggled to sit upright. "Where's Ciel?"

"Bocchan is currently preparing breakfast in the kitchen." Sebastian replied calmly as he poured the tea he brewed into a dainty cup. He then handed it to his mistress, along with an envelope.

The russet haired girl sipped the contents of the cup as she read the letter.

"…invitation to the Queen's Royal Ball tomorrow night, huh?" she muttered as she read on.

"Do you intend to go, milady?" the butler asked as he placed a set of clothes on the corner of his mistress's bed. "Your schedule is conveniently free for tomorrow."

The mistress shrugged.

"I see no harm to it."

Drinking the last drop of tea, she proceeded to change out of her sleeping gown. Sebastian turned away as his mistress changed. A noble she might be, but she despised letting her servants do all the work; much less letting them help her change.

"Sebastian!"

The butler turned to face the girl once more. She wore a set of clothes similar to those of a commoner boy- a long-sleeved cotton button up shirt and a pair of brown shorts. She sat facing a mirror as Sebastian combed her shoulder-length russet locks with a soft brush before tying it into a single ponytail with a basic black ribbon. While her butler was busy with her hair, the girl took a roll of bandage from a drawer in her dressing table and began to wrap it around her right palm. She studied the mark that was etched there as she circled the white strip of cloth around it. Two Faustian symbols intertwined as one- the sign of a contract with two different yet similar demons.

When the morning preparations were done, both mistress and butler head to the dining chamber. On the way along the corridors, they detected the unmistakable smell of smoke.

"…Is something… burning?" the russet haired girl mumbled as she sniffed the air.

Sensing something was wrong; Sebastian turned to his mistress and bowed respectfully.

"Young Mistress, I apologized for my rudeness, but would you mind heading to the dining chamber alone while I check on the kitchen?"

The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Sure."

With that, the butler rushed to the kitchen at an impossible speed – he was a demon after all. There, he wasn't surprised to see his other master, Ciel, struggling with the cooking. The boy was dressed in a classy outfit, despite being a servant himself. His sleeves were rolled up and he was cursing at a burning pot of heavens-know-what that he attempted to cook.

Failing to stifle a laugh, Sebastian asked teasingly;

"Bocchan… what _are_ you doing?"

"S-Shut up, Sebastian!" Ciel snapped.

"..Go prepare the table for the mistress.." Sebastian sighed. "I'll take over from here."

The younger demon knew better than to argue with his butler. He never was good in the jobs of a servant anyway, for he had been the master for the last six years. Three years of demonic hunger for human souls drove him to the point of desperation, thus taking up an offered job as a servant.

Meanwhile, the girl had reached her destination at the end of the hallway. Pushing open the expensive wooden door, she entered the chamber. The place was huge and was decorated with complicated designs, both on the walls as well as the ceiling. Ciel was already there, arranging the cutlery and such.

"Good morning, Ciel~!" the girl greeted with a smile when she saw her other butler.

"Good morning, milady.." Ciel replied. Suddenly, he paused from his work and took a glance at his mistress.

"_What_ are you wearing?" he demanded. "Have you already forgotten you title?"

The smile never faded from his mistress's face.

"..Of course not." She said indignantly. "I'm the sole survivor and heir to the Whitefield family; Rune Whitefield. How could I ever forget that?"

Ciel snorted.

"Well said for a noble who dresses like a commoner.."

Rune ignored his remark and proceeded to seat herself. Upon doing so, Sebastian appeared from the kitchen (which, was somehow connected to the dining chamber) and served several plates of luxurious dishes.

"Today, we are having simple omelets, cooked with the finest butter in the country…" Sebastian went on announcing the menu as he served them one by one.

"…How many servings?" Rune mumbled as she stared at the numerous plates of food presented to her.

"Pardon?" Sebastian made a temporary pause.

"..I said.." an angry vein appeared at the side of Rune's head. "…How many servings?"

"Why, this is all prepared for you and you only, milady." The butler answered innocently.

"…How many times do I have to tell you..?" Rune asked as she took deep breaths to control her anger. "How in the world am I suppose to finish all this?" she spread her hands towards the table before her.

"You could just throw them away." Ciel suggest nonchalantly.

"You know I dislike wasting food."

"How are you going to finish it all then?"

The girl was silent as she thought. Finally, the idea came.

"Ciel, Sebastian!" she called out. "I want both of you to join me in this meal.

Sebastian broke into a slight bow.

"I humbly decline you offer-"

"Sebastian!" Rune said firmly before breaking into a smile. "This is an order."

Having no choice but to follow her orders, Sebastian proceeded to seat his master before settling down himself. The demons did eat, but everything seemed tasteless; for a demon can no longer taste human food. However, Rune didn't care. She might've made everything seem like she was just saving food, but in reality, she wanted do something else with her butlers other than the usual routines (she was careful not to show it though).

Ciel escorted his mistress to her study after the meal, leaving Sebastian to do the cleaning up. Since the other demon was more experienced in house affairs, Ciel was to be Rune's tutor in both studies and work.

"Lord…. There's so much work to do.." Rune whined as her butler placed stacks after stacks of documents and paperwork on the table. Her family, the Whitefields, ran a toy and food company – ranked second only to the Phantomhives. In addition to that, Rune's father even had a friendly rivalry with Vincent Phantomhive, the father to the last head.

"You're already thirteen.. you should already know all this," Ciel mumbled as he helped to sort out the documents. "I had to do everything alone when I was only at the tender age of eleven."

Sighing, the girl randomly picked a piece paper and started reading.

"…Hey, Ciel?" she asked suddenly without taking her eyes off the document.

"What?"

"Who's running the Phantomhive Company now? Since you're here…"

"I don't know." The demon answered nonchalantly.

"..And you're fine with that?"

Ciel regarded his mistress. She was so much different from the slave girl he met a year ago. That time, Rune was full of hatred and sadness. Presently, however, she smiles like there's no tomorrow and even if she gets angry, it usually won't last long. Even so, he knew; Rune hid all her true feelings deep inside her heart, behind her smiles.

"Hmph.. I could care less about it.."

**xXx**

Rune spent the rest of the morning with the paperwork. When noon finally came, Ciel checked his pocketwatch and announced that it was time for lunch. Putting away the last piece of document, the girl stood up and faced the young demon.

"Let's go."

To Rune's relief, her afternoon meal wasn't as grand as the one she had in the morning. Sebastian had skillfully prepared just enough food for a single human.

As the mistress ate, Sebastian explained her schedules for the day.

"Your music and self-defense lessons will be going on from two till four in the evening. Then, after dinner, you have an appointment with Lord Thomas."

"That perverted pig again?" Rune mumbled in between bites.

"Please.. mind your language, Young Mistress," Sebastian said smoothly. "You are a lady, are you not?"

The russet haired sighed and proceeded to finish her meal.

Her music lessons were personally taught by Sebastian as Ciel only mastered the violin- Rune prefers the piano. Flexing her fingers across the piano keys, the mistress gracefully played a soothing tune under the glaring eyes of her butler. Rune was careful not to make even the slightest mistake for Sebastian had made her repeat the same piece for hours; which was pure torture – to Rune.

Other subjects, however, were taught by Ciel. Despite his young appearance, the demon knew a whole lot; from modern history to classic literature.

Fortunately for Rune, there were breaks in between. Sebastian would enter the study every hour or so to serve tea to both his mistress as well as his master. Even though Ciel was also one of her servants, Rune never minded the fact that Sebastian calls him 'Young Master". Ciel was Sebastian's master too, after all. Also, since Ciel was a young demon, Rune rarely expects him to do impossible things like Sebastian. She knew, hunger had taken over him a year ago when they made the contact. The boy was born to be a master, not a servant.

Besides all that, sword fighting lessons were another version of hell. Rune was easily knocked down in every practice (Ciel does not hold back at all). She would always find the tip of the demon's sword at her throat at the end of every lesson.

"..You're not even trying.." he would always tell his mistress before helping her up on her legs.

After outdoor lessons, the girl went back inside for her bath. Since she was drenched in sweat after being beaten down several times by Ciel, it was the most rational thing to do. And of course, being the perfect butler he was, Sebastian had already drawn the bath and was awaiting Rune's return indoors.

"Thank you.." Rune mumbled as she entered the bathroom. "You may go."

Sebastian merely smiled and said nothing. Placing a set of clothes in an appropriate place, he bowed to his mistress and left to prepare dinner.

Taking off her garments and peeling her bandages, Rune stepped into the marble bathtub filled with warm water that smelt like roses. After soaping herself from head to toe, she rinsed herself thoroughly. She continued to stay submerged even after the soap was all washed off. Blankly, the girl traced the shape of her contract sign with her finger.

While she connected the lines of the pentagram on her palm, she recalled everything that happened after she met the demons. First, she escaped her prison in the mine and came back to her family mansion, scaring the living daylights out of the person who bought it through an auction (Rune couldn't help but chuckle at the memory). Then, after claiming her property and title, she freed all the other children who were enslaved in the same hell….

"Young Mistress, your dinner is almost prepared." Ciel's voice sounded from behind the door.

"I'm coming!" Rune called as she arose from the water.

Drying herself with a soft towel, she slipped into her favoured clothes – a collared button-up cotton shirt and a pair of simple brown shorts (she refuses to wear a gown even when meeting with a guest). Combing her hair swiftly and tying it into a simple ponytail, the mistress headed to the dining chamber- bandaging her hand on the way.

Waiting in the chamber was a plump man dressed in expensive clothes. Standing behind him were Rune's two butlers; Ciel and Sebastian.

"Lord Thomas.." Rune said through gritted teeth. She despised the man, for he was the one who bought her mansion when she was enslaved. Until now, he never gave up trying to get back the property that he claimed to be his.

"Lady Rune.." the lord greeted with a bow. "Its an honor to be here."

"I don't remember inviting you.." the girl mumbled under her breath. "Anyway," she forced on a smile. "Let's skip the formalities and enjoy the meal, should we?"

In a few minutes, both were seated at the dining table. As the two negotiated, the butlers served dinner. Sebastian – as usual – announced the menu as he placed the plates of delicious food on the table. Thomas's mouth was practically dripping with saliva as the meal was served.

"Please, help yourself with whatever you want to eat," Rune said when everything was on the table. She planned to focus on the food and not the pig that was seated opposite her for she might throw up any moment.

Apparently, the lord resembled a hog even more when eating. He gorged down food like there was no need to chew. The mistress tried to suppress her disgust and annoyance by ignoring him. Unfortunately, it is hard to take no notice of a person that's eating with so much noise.

After an agonizing 30 minute dinner, the negotiation continued.

"How many times do I have to say, Lord Thomas? I will never give up this property for it is rightfully mine." The girl said coldly.

"Rightfully yours? What proof do you have? Do you think you can just show up and take away something I spent so much money on?"

"I take no heart on how much you spent. And if it is proof you want, for now, I have none. My family's treasure was taken from me when my parents died. I was enslaved soon after."

"Then you have no proof that you're the heir to the Whitefield name!" Thomas said with triumph.

Rune sighed.

"Fine. If you insist on getting back this mansion," her expression changed into a smug smile. "Then let's have a game. If I win, disappear from my sight and never return here."

"..And if you lose?"

"This mansion, along with my family's property, will all be yours."

"You seem confident on winning, Lady Rune." Thomas rubbed his bald chin. "Alright. I accept your challenge. What game will it be?"

"Oh, just a simple game of hide and seek." The girl said with a smirk.

"What? But that's a child's game!" the man scoffed.

"Are you telling me you're giving up just because it is mainly played by children?"

The lord clenched his fists.

"Now, allow me to explain the rules," Rune continued.

"No need." Thomas said indignantly. "I fairly know it all already."

"I see. Then you've got thirty minutes."

He blinked. "Thirty minutes?"

"Hide anywhere in this mansion within that given time. If either me or my servants find you after that in under an hour, it is my win."

"Three against one? That's-"

"The clock is ticking, Lord Thomas." Rune said, cutting off his protest. "I suggest you better start hiding."

Grumbling to himself, the lord scrambled out the dining chamber; leaving the mistress alone with her servants. The girl read the daily paper as she calmly sipped her tea.

Ten minutes passed. Folding up the paper and drinking the last of the tea, she stood up. She headed towards the door and paused before she exited.

"Ciel, Sebastian.." she said. "Time to entertain our guest."

Her announcement was answered with an obedient bow from both the demons.

_"Yes, my lady."_

If Rune wasn't the type that likes to follow the rules, then neither were her butlers.


	3. Chapter 2: Preparations

"..Demons… you're all demons…"

Lord Thomas was cornered in the dark corridors. Towering above his slumping figure was a girl with russet colored hair, and standing behind her were her butlers; Ciel and Sebastian.

"I'll leave the rest to you, Ciel.." Rune told her younger servant.

A malicious smile appeared on Ciel's face as he lifted the eyepatch that covered his right eye; revealing the sign of his Faustian contract.

"As you wish, Young Mistress.." He then turned to face the other demon. "Sebastian."

Sebastian's eyes glowed unnaturally red as he smirked.

"Understood."

Rune turned a walked away as the terrified screams of a man echoed through house. Whatever the demons were doing to him, they were making sure he wasn't coming back alive.

"..Looks like I win, Lord Thomas…." The girl muttered under her breath as she retreated to her bedroom.

**xXx**

"..Its time to wake up, milady.." Ciel said as he drew the curtains to illuminate his mistress's room. Everyday, he would take turns with Sebastian to wake the mistress- and today, was his turn.

Yawning, Rune stretched her numb limbs before resuming her sleeping position.

"…Five more minutes.." she mumbled.

"Wake up." The demon said without much emotion. "Before yank your sheets away like Sebastian."

Hearing this, the girl groaned and painfully sat upright.

"…Demons are always demons…" she retorted as she stifled a yawn.

Ciel did not react much to it besides taking it as a compliment. Carefully pouring some tea into a dainty porcelain cup, he handed it to Rune. The mistress accepted it and took a sip.

One second Rune was fine. On the next, she was almost spitting everything out.

"What in-" she exclaimed after swallowing the 'tea' with difficulty. "What the heck is this?"

"Tea." The young demon replied with an obvious tone.

"..Since when does tea taste _salty_?"

Ciel shrugged and said;

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to."

The mistress sighed. He was the only person she knows that could make tea taste that bad and maintain a straight face.

"No, its fine.." She took one look at the cup she was holding and swallowed hard. "I'll drink it."

And so, Rune spent the whole morning throwing up everything (including her dinner from the night before) in the toilet.

"..Bocchan… just what did you serve her?" Sebastian asked his master. The both of them were standing outside the bathroom to keep an eye on their mistress; incase she faints or anything.

Before Ciel could answer, the door creaked open and Rune staggered out.

"Never… drink… tea… with… salt…" she muttered.

Raising an eyebrow, Sebastian once again turned to Ciel.

"You mistaken salt for sugar?" he asked in a rather teasing tone.

The younger demon harrumphed and turned away. Seeing his master's behavior, the crimson-eyed butler sighed. Without saying anything else, he lifted his mistress and carried her – bridal style – back to her chamber. Rune was so exhausted from vomiting she didn't bother to complain. In fact, she did not feel a thing until she was set down on her bed.

While Ciel helped her lean against the soft cushions, Sebastian went to off to get something. In a matter of minutes, he came back carrying a tray with him. Arranged on it were a few slices of lemon, some rock salt, and a piece of bread. After sprinkling some salt on a piece of lemon, the demon butler walked over to his mistress and tried to feed it to her.

Rune was reluctant at first but she felt downright terrible (shocking what salty tea could do to you). So, she started out with a small bite. Though the fruit was really sour, the girl immediately felt better. Her urge to throw up slowly disappeared as she took another bite.

"..What's this?" she asked.

"That's lemon with rock salt, milady.." Sebastian replied with a smile. "A good remedy to cure nausea."

When her appetite finally returned, Rune was offered a piece of bread which she gratefully took. While she was nibbling on the simple food, Ciel handed her the daily paper; along with an envelope with a wax seal.

Picking the envelope up, the mistress proceeded to open it and study the letter's contents. Her expression remained neutral as she read on. At one point, she even took the newspaper and studied the front page.

Finally, she set everything down and sighed heavily.

"Is there anything wrong, milady?" Sebastian asked after seeing his mistress's reaction.

Rune sighed again.

"..A letter from the Queen." She said frowning. "Her Majesty wants us to solve a murder case… and the the victims.. were all from noble families."

"Which means…" the demon muttered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

The girl nodded gravely.

"He or she might be present at the ball tonight." She turned to her servants. "We need a plan."

**xXx**

"Remind me again… _why_ am I doing this?"

Rune was practicing ballroom dancing with Sebastian.

"Its because you said that you're not very good at dancing, milady." Sebastian replied coolly.

"_That_ I won't deny." Rune sighed. "But tell me, why do I have to wear this?"

"You_ are_ going to dance in a gown, Young Mistress. Isn't that the appropriate attire to be used in practice?"

Rune hated wearing gowns. She had all the reasons to. First, it was because there is a need to wear a corset. To Rune, a corset was a torture device made to squeeze guts out. Second, when she made her reappearance as the heir of the Whitefield name after being missing for six years, she was invited to a welcome-back ball by one of her family's close acquaintances. She _did_ wear a gown at that time, but misfortune followed right after. Before she could even enter the mansion, she had to trip on _something_ and fall, twisting her ankle in the process. More importantly, she lost her pride in less than five minutes. And so, ever since then Rune wore shorts wherever she went. Also, it was easier to move around in shorts; considering she wasn't very lady-like.

The mistress pouted. It was impossible to reason with that demon – he'd thought of everything.

"Now, a gentleman should always lead." Sebastian said, holding out his hand. "May I have this dance, milady?"

Taking his hand, Rune started dancing to the music. The two hadn't danced more than two steps when the girl stepped hard onto her butler's shoe.

"Oops. Sorry, Sebastian!" she said flashing a silly smile.

"No… its fine, milady.." One of the demon's eyebrows twitched as he said it. Even though he was smiling, Rune knew clearly that if she does such a thing again, Sebastian would probably kill her (which, of course, he won't…not yet anyway).

Rune spent hours practicing – be it dancing or lady training. Finally, she was allowed to stop and rest. Ciel brought her tea while she leaned against the soft cushions of one of her sofas. Rune eyed the cup of liquid suspiciously, trying to decide whether or not to accept the offer.

"…Its not salty or anything… is it?" she said, still eyeing the cup.

"No. I made sure it was sugar." Ciel said.

Hesitantly, the girl took the offer. Sipping carefully, she realized the young demon was right; he didn't mistake anything this time – but it _did_ tasted a little different from what she usually drank…

"That's Orange Blossom tea, milady." The demon said as if reading her mind.

"I see…" Rune took another sip. "Its nice…"

Sebastian checked his pocket watch as the mistress finished the last of her drink.

"…It seems that we've got approximately a hour left to prepare for this evening, Young Mistress.." he said before closing the silver lid of the watch and slipping it back into his coat pocket.

"..Alright.." Rune sighed as she stood up like she had dreaded the moment all her life. "Time to get ready."

* * *

**Yo! So we meet again, minna-san! =D **

**I've decided to make the chapters shorter after receiving some useful advice and feedback from TheRetardedlyAwesome-san (which, of course, isn't a retard at all) telling me that my stories seemed rushed (actually, its just an inability of mine to prolong a story ^^'). Thank you all for the little reviews I've gotten so far (I REALLY appreciate all of them!)~!**

**Ok. Enough of the crap. Hope you like this story! =D Forgive all my grammatical mistakes please! **

**Kuroshitsuji ain't mine. It all belongs to Yana-sensei. **


	4. Chapter 3: Royal Ball and Gunshots

"A-Argh..! S-Sebastian!"

"Please bear with it just a little while longer, Young Mistress.."

"I-I…can't..! T-Too… t-tight..!"

Sebastian sighed as he tied the strings of the corset Rune was wearing.

"I…hate… wearing… this…" the girl said gasping for lost air.

The demon merely smiled calmly before taking out the gown that was to be worn by his mistress at the ball. It was pure white dress stretching all the way down to Rune's feet. The only thing special about it was a big blue ribbon bow in the middle of the chest area; making it simple yet elegant in its own way.

"I hope it suits your tastes, milady.." Sebastian said as Rune stared at it.

"It's a little plain.." the girl mumbled. "But I like it."

After Rune slipped into the gown, Sebastian proceeded to help do her hair. Rune let her russet hair tumble freely over her shoulders instead of her usual ponytail hairstyle. The only headpiece she wore was a single golden pin; given to her by an important friend in the past.

The mistress studied herself in the mirror when she was done. Her hair was brushed nicely and Sebastian had skillfully curled them slightly at the tips. Rune also wore a lacey choker around her neck and a pair of white gloves to cover her right hand instead of using bandages. Though her outfit were simple, it somehow brought forth Rune's youthful beauty, making her look her age and not any older.

Clearly satisfied with what he saw, Sebastian smiled and bowed slightly.

"If you may excuse me, Young Mistress," he said. "I'm afraid it is time for me to attend to my master."

Rune turned away from the mirror and faced him. "Sure. I'll handle the rest myself."

Bowing yet another time, Sebastian left the room and hurried to Ciel's. When she was left alone in the room, Rune studied herself in the mirror again. She looked beautiful – no denying that – but she couldn't help feeling awkward. This wasn't the real her. This wasn't the true Rune Whitefield.

Sighing softly telling herself to forget it, the girl slipped her feet into a pair dainty high-heeled shoes that Sebastian had placed at the foot of her bed.

"Oh, Lord…" she thought as she steadied herself to stand. "How to people actually manage to walk in these?"

Carefully, the girl made her way towards the main hall. Looking around, she realized that Sebastian and Ciel wasn't there yet. Before she could decide what to do, she heard Ciel's voice.

"Why the hell am I wearing this again?" he demanded angrily.

"Because it according to our plan, bocchan." Sebastian said in a teasing tone. "Besides, you look breathtakingly good in that."

Then, the two demons appeared in Rune's view. What caught her attention was Ciel's outfit. The young demon wore a long pink dress that fitted his slender figure perfectly. There too, was a bow in the middle of the chest but it was more detailed that Rune's. Besides that, Ciel wore a pair of long black gloves that reached his elbows and a flowery headpiece that cleverly covered his right eye. His hair were in long twintails; which was obviously a wig.

Ciel caught his mistress staring at him and blushed.

"W-What?" he asked and turned away, not daring to meet her eyes.

But, Rune merely smiled and said, "You look beautiful, Ciel."

The boy's face turned deeper crimson.

"S-Shut up."

Saying nothing more, the two headed to the door which Sebastian dutifully opened. Parked right outside was a middle-sized horse carriage.

The demon helped them into the passengers' seat before climbing to the driver's seat himself. With sharp tug on the reins, the horses cantered and the carriage started to move.

Inside, Rune and Ciel sat on opposite seats, facing each other. Ciel leaned against the corner with his arms crossed.

"..How long do you intend to sulk like that?" Rune asked with a slight laugh.

"Hmph.. I still don't understand why I have to cross-dress.." The demon mumbled almost to himself. "And why does it have to be this of all the dresses?"

Rune's cheerful tone faltered a little.

"You're supposed to be dead, remember? I wouldn't want to see everyone there freaking out thinking they saw the ghost of Earl Phantomhive…And what's wrong with that dress? It suits you perfectly.."

Ciel glared at his mistress before finally averting his gaze outside, staring blankly as they passed numerous shophouses. Rune too, did the same for she had nothing better to do. Their conversation had ended just like that.

The mistress was in the middle of her thoughts when the carriage came to a halt. The door opened soon after and Sebastian peeked in.

"We've reached our destination," the demon butler announced.

Exhaling loudly, Rune stood up to half her height to avoid hitting her head on the carriage roof.

"Its time."

**xXx**

The palace was huge. Rune prayed hard that she would not fall again as she got down. After escorting the 'ladies' to the entrance, Sebastian excused himself and left. His job wasn't to attend the ball as a butler of the Whitefield family that night. For the time being, he was just a measly carriage driver.

"Stop!" a guard stepped in between Rune and the door as the girl tried to enter. "Where's your invitation?"

Sighing, Rune fished out the invitation card that was sent to her. The guard paled when he saw who it was addressed to. Rune secretly smirked.

The poor man hurriedly opened the door for the two. As soon as the doors were completely opened, a blast of bright light shone upon them. Compared to the darkness of the night outside, the main hall was as bright as day. As soon as Rune and Ciel stepped in, the talking and murmurings died down. All the attention were focused on the girl and the demon.

"Isn't that.." one whispered.

"She's the last one alive, right?" another muttered.

"To be orphaned at such a young age…"

Rune ignored the comments and turned to Ciel.

"Follow the plan." She whispered in his ear. "If you find anything suspicious, alert me immediately. But if things get difficult, I give you permission to act on your own."

Ciel nodded. "Understood."

The girl then turned to leave but paused. "Oh, and Ciel?"

"…What?"

"Don't forget that you're a lady for tonight," Rune smiled but her tone wasn't teasing. "Be careful."

With that, they went different directions; Rune to the right and Ciel to the left. The mistress hadn't taken more than ten steps when trumpets blared loudly.

"All hail Queen Victoria, the Queen of England!" someone shouted over the music.

The talking died down once more. The guests gradually started to sing 'God Save The Queen' when the ruler made her appearance.

"Please, forget the formalities and enjoy yourselves in this evening." Queen Victoria said when the song ended. Raising their glasses, the guests made a toast to the queen.

Before Rune could decide on what to do, a brunette man dressed in a butler uniform approached her.

"The Queen wishes to speak to you."

The russet-haired girl didn't see any harm to it so she followed him. She was led to the corner of the hall where the Queen was sipping her tea while sitting on an expensive looking chair. Four men in suits surrounded her.

"Your Majesty," Rune curtsied gracefully (Sebastian's training paid off after all). "Its an honor."

The ruler waved her hand and Rune stood upright.

"Lady Rune Whitefield," she started. Her expression was grim. "As you already know, both my Guard Dog as well as my Spider had fallen."

Rune listened in silence.

"Activities are starting to stir because of this." The Queen continued. "Your mother had served me in the past. Are you willing to do the same as my 'Black Cat'?"

Smiling, the girl bowed instead of curtsied.

"Of course. I _am_ a Whitefield, am I not?"

This time, the ruler herself smiled.

"Very well," she said. "You're excused. I do hope you enjoy yourself this evening."

Meanwhile, Ciel was wandering around aimlessly. He never liked events like this even in the past. He was just forced to attend in the name of Phantomhive as owner of the company.

Clearly, he wasn't looking at where he was going and bumped hard onto someone, falling flat on his butt.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry!" the other person apologized.

"..No.. I wasn't looking.." Ciel said as he stood up rubbing his rear.

"..Um… have we met before somewhere?"

The young demon immediately glanced up. Standing before him was a blonde girl with emerald green eyes. She wore the frilliest dress Ciel has ever seen. He didn't recognize her at first but…

"I remember now!" the girl chimed. "Years ago during Viscount Druitt's party! You were there, right?"

Ciel stared wide-eyed at her. She'd changed a whole lot since he last saw her but it was definitely her. With that curly blond hair and frilly dress….

Before the boy could open his mouth and deny everything, someone grabbed his hand. It was Rune.

"Cie-" she stopped abruptly when she saw the blonde. "..Cecilia," Rune bit her lip to avoid laughing at her servant's pseudonym "..an acquaintance of yours?"

CIel's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he shook his head. "No, milady."

Rune turned to the confused looking girl.

"I apologize for my maid's rudeness as well as my own," she said formally.

"Ah, its alright!" the girl flushed. "I'm Elizabeth Middleford, by the way. What's your name?"

"Its an honor to meet you, Lady Elizabeth." Rune did a slight curtsy. "I am Rune Whitefield. This girl here is my personal maid and close friend, Cecilia." It was Ciel's turn to curtsy.

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, Lady Rune." Elizabeth frowned a little. "You can just speak normally when you're with me."

Suddenly, Elizabeth's name was called from somewhere within the crowds.

"There goes Paula again.." the blonde sighed. "Oh, well. I gotta go now. Nice meeting you, Lady Rune and Cecilia!"

Then, she ran off. Rune expression hardened from a smile to a serious face when she turned back to her younger butler.

"Found anything?" she asked. Ciel shook his head.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "Just some unwanted drugging and some really _really_ drunk nobles."

Rune heaved a deep sigh.

"What about you?" Ciel returned the question.

"Nothing either. Except for an audience with the Queen, I didn't really do anything." The girl replied.

"You still intend serve her even after knowing that she's fake?" the demon asked.

"Its not like I'm serving her on my own free will," Rune said glancing around. "I'm just doing it because of the family name. Anyway, we should keep looking… we might still find something…"

Unfortunately, the night ended without the two finding any clues of a killer.

"I guess we made a mistake thinking the culprit was here after all.." Rune sighed as she exited the halls and into the courtyard with Ciel.

The young demon was about to say something when he suddenly tensed.

"Ciel?" Rune asked again when she didn't get a response. "Is everything-"

Just then, a gunshot echoed through the entire yard, followed by the terrified screams of a woman.

* * *

**Who was tricked by the first part? XD (lol I don't think i got anyone there ^^')**

**Excuse my numerous grammatical mistakes and so on. **

**Reviews are highly welcomed and appreciated~ x3 **


	5. Chapter 4: Unexpected Visitors

Chaos immediately stirred. Panicked nobles ran in all directions. Rune rushed to the direction of the sound, cursing and nearly tripping on her high-heeled shoes if Ciel hadn't caught her everytime she almost fell. Finally, she saw a group gathered at one particular spot.

'_That must be it._.' Rune thought, trying to ignore the pain swelling up in her ankle.

Squeezing through the crowd with difficulty, the girl could only get a small glimpse at the dead body lying on the ground. It was the corpse of a man in a formal suit, surrounded in a pool of blood.

**xXx**

Rune threw the daily paper across her study desk and banged her fists hard on the polished wood.

"Please calm down, Young Mistress.." Sebastian said as he brewed some tea.

"..How can I calm down when I let the culprit escape from right under my nose?" the mistress said as she buried her face in her hands. "I was _that_ close and yet…"

"You can't blame yourself for what happened, milady," the butler placed a filled cup on the desk. "Even _I_ could not sense its presence."

Rune stared at him through her fingers. "What do you mean?"

"The culprit.." Sebastian explained. "…was most likely not human. I was there the whole time as your orders stated, and I could not sense a thing even after the murder."

"But Ciel felt something… before panic stirred."

The demon raised an eyebrow.

Rune processed her thoughts in silence. A few moments later, she stood up.

"Only one way to find out whether the culprit's human or not," she announced. "We're going to pay a visit to an old acquaintance."

**...**

The three stood outside an eerie looking shop. The huge sign in the middle of the building had the words 'UNDERTAKER' written on it.

"..You know the Undertaker?" Ciel asked his mistress. He was wearing clothes that were similar to the ones Rune always wore. His usual black eyepatch was replaced with a white clinical one.

Rune shrugged. "My family worked under the Queen in the past. It should only be normal that we know the right people to look for information."

Sebastian walked forward and opened the door for both his mistress and master.

"Undertaker!" the girl shouted as she went inside. A nearby coffin slowly opened and a man dressed in black robes stepped out. He had long silver hair that covered half his face and a weird, psychotic smile.

"My, my… what do we have here?" he mused. "Countess Whitefield and Earl Phantomhive?"

"We want information." Rune said, ignoring his musings.

"Ah… sure… but first… you'll have to-" he paused for second. Out of nowhere, he started laughing hysterically. Rune gave him her best what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-you look.

"Oh, my apologies.." the strange man said while wiping a bit of saliva from the corners of his mouth with his sleeves. "Its just that- BWAHAHAHA!" he started laughing all over again.

Inhaling deeply, Rune let him finish his laughter before asking, "You done?"

"..Yes.." the Undertaker said panting to retrieve lost air. "I never thought that the Queen's former Guard Dog would now work under the Black Cat.."

"Enough of the useless talk." The russet haired girl snapped. "Tell us about the corpse."

"Impatient, are we? Well, I suppose I do have to pay you back for giving me such an enjoyable laugh.." The man mumbled and waved to the trio to follow him. Deeper inside the building, coffins were lined according names, date of deaths, etc. Opening one of the first few ones, the Undertaker motioned them closer.

"David Beaumont; Duke of Blackhedge, owner of the Beaumont Trading Company. Cause of death; stabbed in the stomach with a knife," he said reading from an ancient-looking book. Looking up, he dutifully added; "Or that's what the Scotland Yards say."

Rune raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

The psychotic smile never left his face. Pulling down the sheet that covered the corpse, he pointed at the wound in the abdomen.

"A stab like that couldn't kill. Take a closer look." They did as he said. The wound wasn't deep, but the corners of the cut were tinged with black.

"Poison?" Rune muttered.

"And that's not all.. look what I found when I decided to do some exploring~" the silver haired man fished out a specimen bottle from somewhere in his robes. Inside it was a tiny white worm-like creature – alive and all.

"Hmm…" Sebastian leaned forward and examined the bottle. "..I see.. so that's how they did it.."

"What _is_ that?" the girl asked, mildly disgusted by the squirming creature.

"A life sucker." The butler frowned. "A low-ranked demon that lives by feeding on mortal life-forces. But for them to take a host..they must be summoned by someone from the depths of hell, for they are too weak to do it themselves."

"My… the servant knows quite much I see…" the Undertaker snickered.

"I am one hell of a butler after all." Sebastian said with a smile.

"..So we really are dealing with a demon.." Rune muttered to herself and sighed. "This is going to get complicated.."

"What are you going to do now?" Ciel asked when he saw the mistress sigh.

"Since we haven't got enough clues… I guess the only thing we can do is wait.."

"And let there be another victim? Oh, sure.."

The girl shot a look at her younger butler. As much as she hated to admit, the demon was right. This should not be procrastinated.

"Anyway, thank you for the information." Rune bowed to the owner of the store before turning around and heading to the door. "Ciel, Sebastian," she called out. "We're leaving."

After the visit, Rune decided to take a stroll down town for she still had time before her schedule kicks in. The girl glanced at the display windows of every store she came across. Eventually, she got bored for if there weren't clothes, there were toys; if there weren't toys, there were edible goods.

Halfway through, Ciel suddenly stopped in his tracks. Noticing this and turning around, Rune realized what he was looking at. They were in front of a particular toy store. Painted on the sign at the entrance was the word 'Funtom'. It was one of Ciel's very own company franchises.

The young demon was staring at the toy on display. Taking a closer look, the girl saw what it was. Getting an idea and smiling to herself, Rune disappeared into the store – leaving her surprised butlers outside.

The two demons watched everything that happened inside through the glass window. First, Rune walked up to the man behind the counter and said something. Upon hearing her words, the man paled and immediately headed to the display rack, retrieving the toy that was placed there. He walked back to the girl and handed it to her, bowing and babbling profusely. But Rune merely smiled as she handed him a small pouch of coins before heading back outside.

"..Here.." Rune said as she held out a king-sized plush bunny to Ciel. "Its yours."

The young demon stared at her like she was crazy.

"What? Who the hell would want that?" he scoffed.

"Just take it, Ciel.." Rune said, still holding out the toy.

Sebastian nudged his master.

"Take it, bocchan.. you should be proud that the Young Mistress bought it for you." he whispered.

Ciel hesitated. He wasn't a child, yet he _did_ feel a little happy that his mistress bought him something. Wait... can demons even feel happiness?

"..Thank you, milady.." the adolescent mumbled as he took the toy from the girl's hand.

Rune smiled. "You're welcome."

"Sebatian," Ciel turned to his butler. "Hold on to this for me until we reach the mansion." There's no way in hell that Ciel would carry that thing around wherever he went.

The older demon blinked before finally responding with an obedient bow.

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel stared absent-mindedly at the plush toy that was placed next to him while he was in the carriage. Rune watched as her servant blankly lifted the bunny ears before letting them fall back to their original positions.

"..How old are you exactly?" the mistress suddenly asked out of curiosity.

The young demon regarded her emotionlessly.

"Pardon?"

"How old are you, Ciel?" Rune repeated.

Ciel paused as if he couldn't decide his exact age.

"In human years.. I'm about seventeen.." he finally said.

"How old were you when you were in this appearance?" the girl asked again.

"I was… thirteen.." Ciel answered almost bitterly. Rune noticed it and immediately decided not to ask her butler anymore personal questions. She knew, some things are better off left unknown.

Upon nearing the Whitefield mansion, something caught Rune's attention. Standing in the front porch of the mansion was a couple of human figures. The girl was surprised as she was not informed of any visitors by her servants.

"We have guests?" she asked Ciel.

The boy shrugged. "Not that I know of it. Sebastian did not mention anything about having anyone over either."

Squinting her eyes, Rune tried to get a better view from the carriage. And since the thing was moving, it was hard to stay focused. She could only vaguely make out the figures of a man and a child. From what she could see, the two were talking among themselves.

When the carriage finally came to a halt, Sebastian climbed off the driver's seat and proceeded to help his mistress and master down. As Rune came out she realized the person who she thought was a child, wasn't a child. It was a lady in a wheelchair. The guests stopped talking at once and turned towards her direction.

Both the gentleman and lady were approximately in their twenties for they looked really young. The gentleman had neatly trimmed ebony hair and handsome features. The lady too, was a stunning individual. She had reddish brown hair – much like Rune's – and beautiful features that could make any female in England jealous.

"Rune?" the lady said with a wide smile as soon as soon as she saw the mistress. "Is that really you?"

Rune blinked as her mind worked to remember long forgotten memories of her own past. The only person she knew who had russet hair besides her mother and herself was….

"I apologize for my rudeness, but the Young Mistress isn't accepting any guests today.." Sebastian stepped forward and said with a bow; right-hand-over-left-chest style.

"No..its fine, Sebastian." Rune mumbled.

The demon faced his contractor. "…Milady?"

"This young lady here.." Rune's expression melted into a soft smile. "She is my sister."

* * *

**Lols I'm sorry about the disappointing continual of the cliffhanger! ^^' **

**Now that I read what I wrote all over again, I noticed that its a little cheesy (yes, I NOTICED that, thank you very much. I'll try to fix it if I'm in the mood) [ignore the idiot talking]**

**Okay.. I might've said in the last few chapters that Rune was the sole survivor of the Whitefield family and you'll probably be wondering why a sister suddenly showed up. 'Thing is, just keep on reading. You'll probably understand soon ;) **

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Reviews very much appreciated!**

**Oh, and before I forget. Updates might be slower from this chapter onwards as life is gonna get a whole lot busier for me. So wait with me, yeah? I thank you all for your patience! **


	6. Chapter 5: Siblings

"Ah.. I'm sorry for my rudeness," the lady said when they were all inside. "I'm Helen Whitefield, eldest daughter of Nicholas and Lynn Whitefield, sister to the current head. In the outside world, I usually go by the name Olivia Collins. And this…" the young man stepped forward and bowed. "..Is my husband, Matthew Collins, Marquis of Lightshire."

Rune was still mildly stunned by the sudden reappearance of her sister. She kept on staring at the lady as if she was seeing a ghost.

"B-But onee-sama… I thought you were dead years ago…" she unintentionally mumbled.

Helen chuckled. "Actually, I _am_ considered dead. That explains why I use a pseudonym."

"..We were separated by those people…." Rune recalled. "Then I never saw you again and assumed you died."

The lady winced at the memory. "I tried to escape so that I could save you, Rune. But then.. things went wrong and…" she clutched the sheet that was covering her legs.

"..I've prepared the room, Young Mistress…" Sebastian appeared out of nowhere. For once, Rune felt glad that he interfered.

"Alright, Sebastian. Show our guests their rooms." The mistress turned to her younger butler. "Let's go, Ciel."

Her commands were answered with a bow and a "Yes, my lady" from both the demons. Sebastian regarded the guests and said with a smile;

"Please, allow me to escort you to your room."

Lord Matthew pushed his lady's wheelchair as the butler led the way. The young man couldn't help admiring the mansion; the size of it, the designs… everything about it just seemed to amaze him. But.. there were also something strange about the household – the servants for instance.

"Sebastian, is it?" the man asked suddenly. The demon stopped and turned around.

"Is something the matter, Lord Matthew?" he asked politely.

The young man opened his mouth to say something but stopped.

"No.. its nothing.." he decided.

Raising an eyebrow, Sebastian turned to the nearest door. Fishing out a bundle of keys from one of his coat pockets, he unlocked the door and stepped aside; gesturing to guests to enter first.

The 'guest room' that was prepared was downright luxurious. The room was decorated with priceless antiques and expensive plush furniture. The most noticeable thing about it was the giant chandelier that hung in the middle of the ceiling.

"This… is the _guest room_?" Helen mumbled as she stared at the place in awe. "How come I don't remember any of it?"

"This room is prepared under the special request of my mistress." Sebastian did not answer the second question. "If there's anything you need, please feel free to call any of us servants immediately. Now, if you may excuse me.." he bowed and left the room.

Closing the door behind him, he proceeded to check his pocketwatch.

"..Its time to prepare the Young Mistress's evening tea…." he muttered to himself before walking off along the endless corridors.

**xXx**

"..You never told us that you had siblings.." Ciel told his mistress as they sorted out documents in the study.

"…Not _siblings_… I only have a sister…" Rune muttered without taking her eyes off the paper she was holding. "I thought that since she was dead, there wasn't a need to mention her…"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." the girl called out.

The door creaked opened and a young lady peeked in.

"I figured you were here…" Helen smiled as she wheeled herself in.

Rune regarded her sister in slight surprise.

"Onee-sama? I thought I told Sebastian to let you rest in your room."

Her elder sister shrugged. "I got bored." She then picked up a piece of document and briefly studied its complicated contents. "Whoa.. you actually understand all that is written here?" she exclaimed out of nowhere.

Rune heard it and giggled. "Not always. Ciel usually helps me in all these.."

"…I'm sorry, Rune." Helen suddenly said.

"Hmm? Whatever for?" Rune asked, trying to avoid the mood change.

"..For leaving you alone all these years. Its just…" the lady's voice faltered.

Hearing this, Rune heaved a sigh and headed towards her sister. She knelt down in front of the wheelchair so that they were the same height.

"I don't blame you, onee-sama…" she told her gently. "I never did. So please.. don't blame yourself either."

Helen averted her gaze to her younger sister, stunned by her maturity. Lifting a hand, she caressed Rune's russet hair lovingly.

"Thank you, my dear sister… you've grown so much."

There was a knock on the door once again and Sebastian popped his head in.

"I've prepared your evening tea in the courtyard, Young Mistress," he said.

The mistress turned to her butler.

"Courtyard? But there's still some documents-"

"I'll do it." Ciel said, cutting her off.

"Ciel? But I can't just-"

"Just go, Young Mistress." The young demon said firmly. "I'm better at this compared to you anyway."

Rune was reluctant about it at first but she finally gave in. Grabbing hold of the handles of her sister's wheelchair, they went to the outdoors.

Lord Matthew was already waiting there when they approached the spot. Sebastian had prepared a classic English-styled evening tea. A piece of silk cloth was placed atop a round wooden table. A silver cake stand stood in the middle of it, complete with mouth-watering finger foods.

Sebastian proceeded to brew some tea after seating his mistress. While waiting for the drink to boil, he skillfully arranged the cutleries and plates onto the table. The three diners only watched his work in silence. The demon finished arranging everything just in time for the tea to be ready.

"Wow… your butlers seem to know how to handle anything and everything.." the marquis muttered almost to himself. Rune merely smiled in response. _Of course. They're both demons after all._

"Aww… c'mon Rune.." Helen suddenly whined as they enjoyed the goodies that the butler had prepared. "You seem to be so serious since we met this morning. Why don't you smile or laugh more?"

That seemed to take the girl by surprise.

"Really? I guess I didn't really notice it.." she mumbled and sighed. "Its just.. I've got documents to sign and a murder case to solve and.."

"Whoa.. whoa!" the lady held up her hands in defeat and laughed. "Calm down!"

Hearing her sister's laugh, Rune couldn't help but do the same. Despite her beautiful appearance as a lady, like Rune, she rarely acts like one.

Meanwhile, Ciel was helping his mistress do the paperwork in the study. He finished going through them without much trouble for they were very much similar to the ones he was used to. Having nothing else to do, he decided to work on the murder case. He took a piece of paper and jotted down the names of the past victims, making a small list.

"George Walker, Lanford Xader, Jocelyn York, Kimberly Zane, Morgan Ainsley… and David Beaumont…" the young demon muttered to himself. "..What.."

His thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sound of laughter that came from the gardens outside. Ciel walked towards the large window behind the table and looked outside with slight curiosity. From where he stood, he could see his mistress laughing and smiling alongside her sister. Part of him suddenly wondered how it felt to laugh happily again as he watched them. The young demon shook his head and told himself to forget it – a demon can no longer feel useless emotions like these.

While the three were still having their evening tea outside, the sky suddenly darkened. Without much of a warning, it began to drizzle. Thunder sounded in the distance.

"Sebastian!" Rune called for her butler who was standing nearby in case he was in need for assistance. "Take my sister inside. Fast!"

The demon did not need to be told twice. In a flash, he carried the lady in his arms and rushed into the mansion, with Rune and her brother-in-law tailing behind.

They were all soaking wet by the time they reached indoors. Ciel, who had witnessed everything, brought each of them some towels to dry themselves.

"..Oh dear… we won't be able to return home in this kind of weather.." Helen muttered as she rubbed the dry towel against her wet clothes.

Rune regarded her sister.

"Why not stay here for the night?" she asked.

"Please, don't trouble yourselves any further, Lady Rune," Matthew added for his wife. "We'll somehow be able to make it.."

"Nonsense, Lord Matthew!" the mistress said cheerfully. "You both are very much welcomed in this mansion. We are family, right?"

The couple exchanged looks as if making a silent discussion. Finally, the lady gave their answer.

"Very well. We'll stay here for the night."

Rune broke into a smile before turning to her servants.

"Sebastian, Ciel," she ordered. "Prepare dinner and a bath for our guests immediately."

The two demons raised their right hands over their left chests and bowed in unison.

"Yes, my Lady."

At that moment, all Rune could think of was to keep her remaining family from the bad weather. But little did she know, she was unconsciously leading them to their deaths.

* * *

**Ummm ok... first and foremost, i would like to apologize for mixing Japanese suffixes in this chapter (coz i found siblings calling each other 'Sister' REALLY awkward. Second, I'm sorry that this chapter is a little cheesy and crappy (yes, i ran out of ideas... AGAIN). **

**Please excuse the mistakes i've made so far. **

**Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. (Critiques too, are accepted with an open heart. Just... -I'm sorry- try NOT to be too harsh; I'm just a humble writer wannabe. My English isn't _that_ good.)**

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **


	7. Chapter 6: Death of a Loved One

"Tonight's menu will be oven roasted pork chops with coleslaw and mashed potatoes as side dishes…" Sebastian announced as he served the food.

Rune sighed inwardly. Thank goodness the demon remembered not to overdo the cooking.

"Please enjoy yourselves in this meal.." the mistress told her guests with a smile. The three picked up their cutleries and started dining.

"This is…" Lord Matthew gasped after taking a bite of the pork chop.

"..Delicious!" Helen ended the sentence for him.

Rune could not deny it herself. The food that Sebastian cooked was simply delightful to be eaten. Plus, it was warm for it was newly prepared – perfect for a cold rainy night.

After dinner, Rune stood up and headed to the door without saying a word.

"Where are you going, Young Mistress?" Sebastian asked as he and Ciel cleared the table.

"I'm heading to my office for awhile. There's still something I need to check on." The girl replied and left.

Sebastian sighed and turned to the guests. "Please, forgive my mistress's inappropriate behavior. She seems to be a little… busy at the time.."

The marquis shook his head. "Its alright. After all, Lady Rune has the huge responsibility as heir to the Whitefield name and company. I understand that she has a great amount of work to do."

This brought a slight smile to Sebastian's face. "Thank you for your understanding, Lord Matthew."

"Ne, Sebastian…" Helen said.

"What is it, Lady Helen?"

"I know its rude of me to ask of this but… could you give us a tour in this mansion when you're done cleaning up? Its just.. I've been away from home for so long.. I can't really remember everything about this place.."

"Oh, certainly. I'm sure the Young Mistress would not mind either." The demon replied.

The lady's expression brightened. "Thank you."

**xXx**

"Walker, Xader, York, Zane, Ainsley, Beaumont…" Rune mumbled as she paced around in her study, reading the list of names Ciel had jotted down earlier that day. "..They're all in alphabetical order.. so the next victim would most probably have a surname starting with the letter 'c'..." The mistress heaved an exasperated sigh. "But there's so many people out there…" She studied the paper again. "..What exactly do all of them have in common?"

The mistress averted her gaze towards the window. It was still pouring heavily – making not a single thing outside visible except for faint outlines of trees.

"..The next victim… who will it be..?"

Meanwhile, the butlers were giving the guests a tour as they said they would.

"..This is the music room, where the Young Mistress takes her piano lessons in.." Sebastian explained as he and Ciel led them along the endless hallways and corridors. "And this is the library, where all of the books in possession of the Whitefields are stored… as well as some other things…"

Lord Matthew listened in great interest but his lady only did the same half-heartedly. While they went around the house, Helen couldn't help immersing her thoughts into memories of things that happened what-seemed-to-be decades ago during her own adolescence. She recalled the time when she and Rune used to chase each other along these very hallways, screaming and laughing – only to result to scolding and naggings from the house servants. All those are just seemed impossible to happen again….

Out of nowhere, a bad feeling shot her. The lady sensed that something was about to happen… something very wrong…

"..Is something wrong, Lady Helen?" Ciel asked suddenly, penetrating her thoughts.

"Oh..I'm fine.." the lady smiled. She realized that they were at the end of the corridors and were already proceeding to turn around to go the other way. Then, something caught her eye.

"Is that… blood?" she asked pointing to a darkened spot on the crimson carpet.

"Blood?" the marquis – who was pushing his lady's wheelchair - turned around. "Why would there be-"

"Some unfortunate events happened here sometime ago.." Sebastian said coolly. "Events that are better for us not to mention." He turned to the guests and smiled almost evilly. "Now, shall we get going?"

The spot on the floor was indeed blood, for it was the place where the last guest, Lord Thomas, was killed. The demons were careful on hiding it though, for the sake of keeping Rune's name clean.

At that moment, a figure of a girl appeared walking towards the group. As she came closer, they realized it was just Rune making her way to the library.

"Ah.. you're all here.." Rune greeted before she turned to open the wooden door.

"Are you finished with whatever you wanted to check on just now, Rune?" Helen asked as she peeked inside the library where the mistress had stepped into. Shelves and shelves of books were lined neatly everywhere. At the corner of the room, next to the window, was a comfortable reading chair – one that once belonged to their late mother.

"Yes.." the mistress replied as she picked a book from the shelves and checked its cover. "Are you all having a tour around the mansion?"

Helen nodded yes.

" I see.." Rune tucked the book under her arm and headed back outside.

"Where are you going?" her sister asked as she moved aside for her to exit.

".. getting ready for bed.." the girl replied in a mumble.

"Then why are you taking a book?"

"I can't sleep so early."

"Then why do you want to get ready for bed?"

There was a pause before an answer was given.

"I prefer reading on my bed."

**xXx**

Rune slipped into her nightgown as soon as she got out from the bath and headed to her chamber. She entered her room, a candelabrum in one hand and a book in the other. Carefully setting her illumination down on the nightstand, the girl proceeded to climb on her bed. She was just about to flip the book open when a knock sounded from the door.

"Come in." the mistress's called out. The large wooden door of her room opened and Helen came in, her wheelchair pushed by Sebastian. The lady too, was in her night gown.

"Lady Helen wishes to have a talk with you before she sleeps, Young Mistress.." the demon said. Rune regarded her sister, then her servant.

"..Leave us, Sebastian."

Sebastian bowed obediently and left. The girl turned to her sister.

"Is there something bothering you, onee-sama?" she asked. Even in the dim lighting Rune could see that her sibling was worried about something.

"Hmm? Oh, its nothing…" Helen tried to smile. "Just a bad feeling…"

"Are you sure?"

"..Yeah.."

The lady looked at her sister. For the first time since they saw each other, Helen noticed the bandaging on Rune's right hand (the mistress half expected something like late night visits to happen so she kept them on).

"What happened to your right hand, Rune?"

"Huh?" The younger sibling raised her mentioned hand slightly. "Oh this… it's a just a little cut… nothing serious, really."

Helen glared at her with concern. Rune knew she could never fool her sister, but she had to keep her contract with demons a secret. No one save herself and her servants should know.

"Ne, onee-sama, would you like to sleep with me tonight?" the girl asked, trying to change the subject. Fortunately for her, her elder sibling was easily distracted.

"I would love to.." Helen replied. "..but.."

"Ah its fine. This bed is huge!" the mistress smiled. "And I'll help you of your wheelchair so don't worry about it, onee-sama."

Her sister was reluctant about it but she finally agreed.

"Alright then.." Rune got off her bed and walked towards the door. Opening it, she poked her head outside and sure enough, Sebastian was standing outside.

"Sebastian, inform Lord Matthew that my sister will be sleeping here tonight."

The demon butler nodded. "Understood."

Rune flashed him a slight smile before she went back inside.

"Now.. let me help you.." she turned to her sister.

The girl slung one of her sister's arms over her shoulders. Carefully, she helped her up from the wheelchair and seated her on the bed. Then, she lifted her legs onto the soft material.

"Didn't you say that you are unable to sleep this early?" Helen asked with a chuckle.

"Did I?" Rune blew out the candles. She made her way to the other side of her bed guided only by the faint moonlight seeping through the curtains. She lied on the bed and turned over so she was face to face with her sister.

"Good night, onee-sama.." she mumbled before closing her eyes.

Helen smiled softly before doing the same. "Good night, Rune.. I hope you have sweet dreams..."

**xXx**

"Its time to wake up, Young Mistress.." Sebastian said as he drew the curtains of his mistress's chamber. As usual, Rune merely turned and mumbled;

"Five more minutes…"

Sebastian sighed. "Everyone else is awake, milady. They're all currently waiting for you to start breakfast.."

The mistress groaned aloud and sat upright. As the demon said, Helen had already woken up and exited the room.

In a matter of minutes, Rune was done changing and was heading to dining chamber. The guests were all seated at the table when she reached there.

"Oh, my.. I'm so sorry!" the mistress quickly apologized before taking a seat herself.

"Its alright, Lady Rune.." Lord Matthew said looking up from the daily paper he was reading. His lady, on the other hand, seemed to be staring into blank space.

"Onee-sama… is something still bothering you..?" Rune asked, concern plastered across her face.

The young lady blinked as if snapping out of a trance. "..Huh? Oh.. its nothing.." she mumbled. "Umm.. I'm not really hungry so I think I shall go to the library while the two of you have your breakfasts…"

Rune wanted to protest but before she could find a reason to do so, he sister had already left the chamber.

Lord Matthew heaved a sigh. "She's been acting unusual since yesterday.. I wonder what's wrong…"

The girl nodded in agreement without taking her gaze away from the door.

Breakfast that morning was dull, though Matthew did try to strike up conversations. Rune did partake in some of them, but it was all half-hearted. She had a feeling that day that she was going to lose something.. something very precious.

Rune headed to the library to find her sibling as soon as she finished her meal. She started walking at a normal pace, but it eventually became rushed. Rune could feel it – something bad was definitely going to happen.

Finally, she reached her destination. The library never felt so far before. Rune knocked before going in, in case her sister wanted her privacy.

"Onee-sama..?" she whispered as she slowly pushed the door open. "Are you-"

Her sentence was stopped short by the gruesome sight that greeted her behind the door. Blood was splattered all over the carpet. Books scattered in different places. Racks and shelves were pushed over. And amidst it all, was the broken form of a once very beautiful lady – Helen Whitefield.

Then Rune screamed.

* * *

**oookkkk this chapter is a little long and i keep jumping from scenes to scenes (sorry bout that) **

**and i also noticed that its a little rushed (sorry bout that too) **

**Thank you for your constant reviews, Morpheus9494-san! I really appreciate reviews from the others too~!**

**Please forgive the mistakes i made in this chapter (and the last few) **

**I'll say it over and over again; Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **


	8. Chapter 7: Can demons cry?

"May her soul be forever blessed in His domains…"

A priest led the final prayer to the one who had departed. Friends and family gathered, sobbing as the coffin was lowered into a freshly dug grave. Just then, a horse carriage came to a noisy halt nearby and an adolescent girl with russet got out, accompanied by her butlers.

"Why is _she_ doing here?"

"I heard that she died in her mansion.."

Noisy whispers broke out among those who attended. Rune ignored them as she strode past. She got down on her knees before the new grave. Her expression was dim, as if all that happened felt like a dream – a nightmare, to be exact.

"Rest well, onee-sama.." the girl muttered as she placed some fresh flowers before the tombstone. "..I'm sorry.."

It started raining. Almost immediately, the crowd began to scatter, leaving for shelter. The funeral was over.

Rune stood up and went farther uphill, not bothering to use an umbrella to keep herself dry. Her two servants followed behind, keeping a suitable distance. The mistress stopped in front of another grave and knelt down once again. Using her gloved hands, she gingerly brushed away the dirt and grime that had accumulated on the tombstone over the years, revealing the words that were clearly etched there.

_*In Memory Of*_

_Nicholas and Lynn_

_Whitefield_

_1857~1886_

_Left, But Never Forgotten_

"I'm sorry that I haven't visited for such a long time, otou-sama… and okaa-sama.." Rune said softly. "I was busy getting used to the job the both of you left me…"

The downpour got heavier. Ciel and Sebastian only watched their mistress from the background. Her voice sounded shaky, but not a single tear glistened down her cheeks – not that they could see in the rain anyway.

"Ne, is onee-sama over there now? I really hope she is… she always wanted to meet the two of you again.."

For a moment everything was silent except for the pitter patter of the rain on the tombstones.

Rune faced the gray skies, a hand draped over her eyes.

"..God really resents me huh?" she mumbled. "..He actually took every single thing that was dear to me… "

"..We should go, Young Mistress.." Sebastian stepped forward and said. "You might catch a cold like this.."

Rune readjusted her head to its normal position before proceeding to stand up.

"Yeah… we should.."

Before she climbed back into the carriage, Rune turned around for the last time and muttered softly;

"Good night, onee-sama… otou-sama… okaa-sama… And goodbye."

**xXx**

Despite her 'anti-wasting food' personality, Rune refused to eat anything that day. She just didn't seem to be in the mood to eat, not after the death of a loved one.

"..Excuse me, Lady Rune…" Lord Matthew went up to her in the study. The mistress was staring blankly out the window, watching the storm that was raging outside. "Helen.. your sister wanted me to give you this.." He held out a small wooden box.

Rune regarded her brother-in-law emotionlessly before taking the box without even thanking him. Reluctantly, she opened it.

Inside was a golden pendant, along with a handwritten letter:

_Dear Rune,_

_If you're reading this right now, then it probably means that I'm dead. If that's really the case, then I want you to have this pendant. Mother gave this to me before she and Father were killed all those years ago. This pendant is the family treasure passed down to every generation of heirs, and I want you to have it. With this, you might just be able to proof enough that you're the real heir of the Whitefield name. _

_Besides all that, I'm sorry that I have to leave you alone once again. I sincerely wanted to laugh and play alongside you like we used to back in our younger days, but… it seems impossible to happen now. Truly, I'm very sorry. _

_Don't worry about me, my dear sister. Even if I die, you'll still move forward, right? You're strong, just like our parents. Whatever happens, please, do not blame yourself. You're still my little sister, and I'm proud of it. I'm proud of you, Rune. And I will always love you, no matter what happens. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ Helen Whitefield_

The girl placed the letter on her lap and held up the pendant. It had complicated designs beautifully engraved on it. Rune pressed a small button at the side and the lid flipped open automatically. Inside the pendant was an old picture of a family – Rune's family, to be exact. A handsome gentleman with dark blackish hair stood in the background along with a beautiful lady with russet hair – the girl's parents. Standing in the front and grinning like there's no tomorrow, was Rune and her sister, Helen. Music tinkered as soon as the lid opened; there was a built in music box.

Rune closed the lid and turned to Lord Matthew. Her face remained expressionless, but her voice sounded strained; like she was holding back tears.

"Thank you, Lord Matthew… for taking care of my sister all these years…" She stood up, faced him, and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, please, raise your head, Lady Rune!" the marquis exclaimed. "Its not your fault!"

"My mansion's security isn't professional. If it had been better, Helen wouldn't have died…" the mistress kept her head down. "I'm very sorry…"

"Still! Helen's death is uninvited… she…" Matthew stammered. Tears rimmed the eyes of the young man. As much as he tried to stay strong, it was hard to accept the fact that the woman he loved had died. But he knew, it was harder to Rune. The girl lost her sister, her only family left, right after being finally reunited after years of separation.

Rune still refused to look up even when she heard Matthew's sniffling. She didn't want to see tears – or else she might break down herself.

**xXx**

"I've brought you something to eat.." Ciel knocked before entering Rune's bed chamber. At first, he couldn't see her for the room was as dark as it can be. Then he noticed a figure at the other side of the huge bed, facing the window. The young demon walked closer and sure enough, it was his mistress sitting there; curled up, and gazing at the beautiful full moon.

Rune took a quick glance at her servant before burying her face in her knees.

"..I'm not hungry.."

Ciel sighed as he placed the plate of pastry on the nightstand. He then walked over to accompany his mistress. He studied her. Looking at Rune now reminded Ciel of her when they met years ago – alone, sad, angry… and fragile.

"Ne, Ciel..?" the girl suddenly asked, looking up a little from her position.

"..Yes?" Ciel answered.

"Can demons… cry..?"

The boy did not know how to answer exactly. There was silence before he decided;

"…No… a demon can no longer shed tears.."

"…have you ever cried when you were still…" Rune hesitated. "..human, Ciel..?" her tone was no louder than a slight whisper.

"..I had… but only when I was a small child. I… lost the ability to experience emotions like this ever since the death of my parents.."

Rune buried her face deeper in her knees. "…I see.."

Though it was dark, Ciel could see his mistress's body shaking. Then, he did something unexpected even by himself. The young demon knelt down before the girl, and gingerly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a gentle hug. He knew, it was inappropriate for a servant to act that way, but he also knew that Rune never treated them as mere servants.

Rune was surprised by her younger butler's action. Ciel said nothing, but somehow, he brought certain warmth to the girl's heart. Her vision began to blur. Clear silvery tears streamed down her cheeks. Ciel held her a little tighter, encouraging her to let it all out.

Then Rune broke down. She cried onto the demon's shoulder, letting the tears that she had kept suppressed all this while flow freely. Soft restrained crying eventually turned to loud wails that echoed through the corridors of the mansion.

At that time, Ciel only thought of one thing;

_'This is why.. I hate God..'_

* * *

**whoa that was fast! XD I've thought of this chapter for days and i just couldn't wait to write it, so here it is! **

**kinda straying away from the true story plot but i promise i'll go straight to the point after this (for the time being anyway)**

**Excuse my grammatical mistakes and so on**

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

**Reviews are mah drugs~~~ *w* **


	9. Chapter 8: Black Letter

Rune woke up to find herself lying on her own bed. Strange… she didn't remember falling asleep – not on the bed anyway. She sat up and yawned. Her eyes stung. Figures, she'd been crying all night with Ciel by her side. Come to think of it; where_ is_ the demon? Rune glanced around. Neither Ciel nor Sebastian was to be seen in her chamber. The girl climbed off her bed and glanced at the pocketwatch on her nightstand. Seven in the morning. Rune usually refuses to wake up until eight.

Sighing to herself, she went to her closet and randomly picked a set of clothes and changed. After tying her hair and wrapping a strip of bandage on her right hand, she headed downstairs.

Rune visited the kitchen first. She could hear the clanking of utensils as she neared. Without a doubt, her servants were preparing breakfast.

"Well… this is a surprise.." a smooth voice suddenly sounded from behind her, giving the girl a slightly surprised jump.

"..Good morning, Sebastian.." Rune turned to her butler and smiled. Judging by the smirk on the demon's face, she guessed he already knew what happened yesterday night.

"What's for breakfast today?" the girl added, trying to ignore Sebastian's smug look.

"Bocchan is currently preparing it, Young Mistress. Its impolite to ask of the menu before it is served. You should find out soon."

An uneasy feeling shot Rune.

"Uhh.. Sebastian.. I don't suppose you could… keep an eye on Ciel's cooking for me, could you?" she asked, a metaphorical sweatdrop on the back of her head.

Sebastian bowed slightly. "I understand." Then he disappeared.

"..I hate it when they do that.." Rune muttered to herself before proceeding to enter the dining chamber. The daily paper and mails had already been retrieved and placed on the mistress's usual set. She scooped up the paper and started reading while she waited.

Not long after she settled down, her breakfast was prepared and served. Rune sipped her tea as she read on.

"…Looks like the news had already been spread…" the girl mumbled without once taking her gaze away from the words on the paper. Her servants raised an eyebrow in question.

"…Olivia Collins is actually Helen Whitefield… and was killed in this very mansion.." Rune said, folding her newspaper and picking up a fork before proceeding to devour her meal.

Ciel was partially surprised that Rune could speak of her sister so casually after witnessing that incident last night. Apparently, his expression showed it and his mistress noticed.

"Onee-sama is dead. No matter how much tears I shed, how much I grieve, she will not come back. That's why.. all I can do now is move forward, find the bastard who killed her, and solve this _ass-pain_ of a case." Rune said.

The demons blinked as if they couldn't believe she just said that. Then again, that was their mistress – always full of surprises and doing the unusual.

The doorbell rang when Sebastian and Ciel was cleaning up. The older demon decided it was best for him to answer it instead of his master – Ciel was supposed to be dead, after all; he could freak people out by reappearing like that.

And so, Sebastian headed to the front door in the main hall. He opened the door slightly and peeked out. To his mild annoyance, there was no one there. The demon was just about to slam the door shut and proceed with his duties when something on the pavement caught his eye. Turning around, he bent down and picked up the item.

**xXx**

"Young Mistress…" Sebastian knocked on the door of Rune's study before entering. Rune looked up from the document she was signing.

"Anything, Sebastian?"

The butler held out a silver tray. A stack of letters was placed on top of it. The girl promptly took and read them one after another without much interest. Finally, it was down to the very last one.

It was a black envelope, sealed with blue wax that resembled a rose. Written at the corner in white ink were the words, "To the Black Cat".

Rune tore it open without hesitation and fished out its contents. Inside was a single card. The girl's expression turned grave as soon as she read it.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow upon seeing his mistress's reaction.

"What is it, milady?" he asked out of curiosity. Rune showed him the card. Only three words were imprinted on it; "_You are next_."

Rune's expression never changed even when she announced;

"A declaration of war."

**xXx**

The Scotland Yard visited again that afternoon. Lord Matthew had been questioned the day before and was concluded innocent, though he was still on the suspect list. He was allowed to return to his own manor after that. Rune on the other hand, was excused for she was emotionally unstable that day. This time, there was no such thing.

The crime scene, also known as the library, was left guarded and was off limits even to Rune. The Yard(?), Arthur Randall, entrusted the investigation of the scene to his subordinates while he questioned the mistress in her study.

"You were the first person to find the corpse... Countess Whitefield.." he said with obvious dislike in his tone. "How would you like to explain this?"

Rune took a deep breath. This is going to be hard…

"..My sister went to the library alone. I, along with my brother-in-law and servants, were all in the dining chamber. You can ask them for confirmation."

"Family and servants do not count."

"What proof do you have that either one of us were there, then?" the girl asked calmly. "Your puny little investigation doesn't seem to be going anywhere, Lord."

The Yard huffed indignantly. Indeed, it was a tricky case and it would take some time – or even forever – for them to solve it.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door and Ciel came in, pushing a silver cart with him. Prepared on the cart were some sweets and some tea. The young demon was dressed in a butler's uniform similar to Sebastian's; only smaller in size, naturally. He wasn't wearing his eyepatch, but his right eye was cleverly masked with his long bangs.

Carefully, he brewed some tea and served his mistress and the man some. The Yard regarded him suspiciously.

"…Why do you look so familiar..?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, studying the servant from head to toe. Ciel said nothing as he put everything back to place and went back outside, closing the door behind him.

Rune interlaced her fingers and leaned against her chair.

"What are you going to do now, Lord Randall?"

"Don't poke your nose into things that do not concern you.." he gritted his teeth. "It is decided. Until this case is solved and the murderer is found, you nor any of your servants will leave this house." He then stood up and exited the study to rejoin his subordinates.

Rune sighed. Then, she took out the pendant she wore under her shirt. She opened its lid and the music clicked to life.

"…..Things that do not concern me..huh..?" the girl muttered softly to herself as she stared blankly at the last gift she received from her family.

**xXx**

Rune carried out her usual routines for the day. Randall left some time in the evening, but he left a few of his men to stay guard at the front door; to make sure the household stays inside.

"..Are you sure about this, Young Mistress..?" Sebastian asked the girl as he stood behind his mistress. Rune was having her dinner in the dining room.

"Unfortunately…yes.." the girl replied with a sigh. "The blue rose seal confirms it."

"…So what now?" Ciel asked.

"Its obvious isn't it? Rune smiled darkly. "If I'm the one they want, I'm the one they'll get."

* * *

**First of all, I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS HIM! D: i'll just call him 'the yard' for the time being coz i've got not idea whether its correct or not (please tell me if i'm wrong)**

**Again, i failed to make an interesting chapter (Ciel appearing in the study was a really REALLY random . i promise i'll try come up with more ideas soon!)**

**Reviews are appreciated with all mah heart~!**

**Read the previous chapters and you'll know what i'm gonna say.**


	10. Chapter 9: Duel Between Demons

Rune stood alone outside the doors of a huge mansion. She lifted an arm and rang the doorbell. An eerie sound echoed through the place. The door opened and a frail looking maid peeked out. She was just about to say something but stopped when she recognized Rune. The servant's expression changed to fear. Opening the door fully, she shakily ushered Rune inside.

The main hall nowhere near similar to the halls of Whitefield mansion. Wallpapers were faded and peeling off. Windows were so tainted with dust; there was no such need for curtains. The original color of the carpets were no longer recognizable. The girl couldn't help wondering whether the servants there actually carry out their duties or not.

Almost out of nowhere, a young man appeared next to Rune. He had bright turquoise eyes and silky raven hair combed smoothly that parted to his right. He wore a dark brown tailcoat over his vest and button up shirt. His features were cold and sharp, and he reminded Rune a little of Sebastian.

"..You must be Lady Rune.." he said smoothly. Though he was smiling, not the slightest warmth could be detected from it. "Allow me to show you the way to the master.." He motioned Rune to follow him.

Rune tailed behind cautiously. She was in the enemy's territory now, and everything already seemed suspicious – especially the butler. Strangely, he had an aura Sebastian and Ciel would sometimes have when their angry or annoyed. At that point, Rune could only hope that her butlers were following her orders somewhere outside.

After countless twist and turns through the hallways and corridors, they reached the door of an office. The butler turned the doorknob and stepped aside. Taking a deep breath, Rune gathered her courage and stepped inside.

A table made out of glass sat in the middle of the room. And sitting behind it, was the master himself. He had pointed eyes and a pointier nose. Two strands of moustache grew above his upper lip and he was thin and tanned. In short, Rune thought he was a villain that came straight out from old detective movies.

"So you've found out it was me.. Rune Whitefield.." he purred while stroking his moustache. "… you saved me the trouble on planning an ambush.."

Rune forced on a brave smile. "That blue rose was too obvious." She fished out the black envelope from her pocket and held it up. "How would I not know the trademark of the person who tried to rob my mother of her dignity, Gordon Jefferson?"

"Don't you dare speak of that woman in front of me!" the man bellowed. Rune took a step back, surprised by his outburst.

"Do you know how long I've waited for revenge? " he continued. His eyes had the glint of a madman in them. "Your mother killed all my men and left me alone and bankrupted. She took everything I had! Now its my turn to do the same!"

Rune clenched her fists.

"..Were you the one… who killed them?" she asked, trying hard to suppress the anger in her tone.

Jefferson laughed. "Kill? I simply gave the orders! The one who did the killing was the person standing over there!" he pointed somewhere and Rune turned to the direction. With a shock, she realized it was the butler from earlier. He'd been so quiet Rune forgot he was there at all.

"..Why did you kill them? They had nothing to do with this." The girl turned back and demanded.

The man laughed again. "Oh sure.. they're innocent alright," he said. "I only did it to distract you. I knew Olivia Collins was a Whitefield all along, that's why I murdered them alphabetically."

Rune clenched her fists so hard, they turned white. "You did all those murders… so you could kill my sister?"

"It was enjoyable."

"You bastard…!" Rune tried to step forward but stopped when the tip of a dagger was pointed at her throat.

"You made a contract with a demon." she said through gritted teeth. "That's why you were never caught."

"Oh? So you've noticed?" Jefferson smirked. "Nathan here follows every order I make, and does it all flawlessly."

Rune caught a quick glance at the demon next to her. It might've been her imagination, but she could see annoyance flash in his expression before turning neutral again.

"Your soul? It's a wonder why the demon wants to eat it at all.." Rune mocked. She hoped her voice sounded braver than she felt.

An angry vein throbbed at the man's temple. "You dare mock me, Rune Whitefield? You've just sealed your death!" He shifted his collar and revealed the skin somewhere under his collarbone. Etched there was a pentacle, the sign of a Faustian contract. "I order you to kill her, Nathan!"

Rune was waiting for her chance. Her hands were free. Before the demon could respond to his master's orders, she tore the bandages on her right hand and shouted;

"Sebastian! Ciel! Come here!"

For a moment, there was silence and the room went black. Even the sunlight from outside seemed to be blocked. Rune couldn't see a thing, but she could feel someone lunging towards her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Just then, she heard a loud sound of blades intercepting. Reluctantly, the girl opened her eyes.

The lights blinked back on. Rune realized she was facing Sebastian's back. Nathan had tried for the kill, but her demon butler came just in time to block the blow.

"Sebastian Michealis.." the turquoise-eyed demon hissed.

Sebastian smirked. "It seems that I'm really famous nowadays.."

Rune dared herself to look farther ahead. Standing on the glass table and pointing a gun towards Jefferson, was Ciel.

"..It.. It can't be…" the man stammered. "Its impossible.."

Rune ignored him and held out her hand so that her contract sign was visible. "This is an order. Kill them, Ciel, Sebastian."

The eyes of both her butlers glowed. "Yes, my lady."

Jefferson broke out in sweat. "What are you waiting for, Nathan? Didn't I already give you my orders?"

Nathan's eyes too, glowed red as he poured more force into his dagger. Sebastian deflected it and stepped back. He lifted his mistress and set her down on a safer place and turned to face his opponent once more.

"Perhaps we should continue in a more appropriate place, seeing as this room is a tight fit," he told the other demon.

Nathan didn't even give a response. With a single leap, he broke through the window behind his master's table and went out. Sebastian sighed.

"Impatient, aren't we?" he muttered and proceeded to follow.

The tanned man was still frozen in his seat with Ciel's gun pointed towards his head. Rune approached and stood behind her younger butler.

"Impossible… for a single child to offer her soul to two demons…" he mumbled. His eyes were wide with fear.

"Impossible?" Rune chuckled darkly. "All of it is true, Jefferson. My soul will be devoured by my butlers after my contract is fulfilled. And my contract sign…" she raised her palm slightly so that he could see the pentacle. "..proves it." The girl turned to Ciel. "Follow your orders, Ciel."

"..No… please don't… don't kill me…" the man pleaded. Ciel remained emotionless. Then, he pulled the trigger.

**xXx**

The battle between the other demons was taking place on the roofs of the mansion. Silverware intercepted with blades of daggers. Sebastian threw a butter knife towards his opponent. Nathan dodged, but the knife managed to make a small cut on his cheek.

"Tch.." He licked some blood off before continuing the fight. He lunged towards the other demon and landed a roundhouse kick towards Sebastian's side. Sebastian jumped upwards and landed lightly on Nathan's outstretched leg. Nathan spun, attempting to make his opponent lose balance, but Sebastian wasn't that careless. Anticipating it, he jumped off and grabbed the other demon's leg. As if without effort, he threw him towards the nearest tree.

There was so much force in his throw that the tree toppled over when Nathan hit it. Dust blew everywhere. Sebastian went nearer to get a clearer view. Standing amidst the dust was Nathan. His clothes were tattered, otherwise he was fine. There was not a scratch on him.

The turquoise-eyed demon brushed some dust from his sleeves before bringing out more daggers with a flick of his hand. He was just about to attack again when the sound of a gunshot echoed through the whole place. Sebastian smiled.

_"Looks like bocchan did it…"_

Nathan faltered for a split second before regaining composure.

"My contractor is dead. I am hereby no longer bound to his orders." he said with a hint of satisfaction his voice. "Therefore, this fight is not necessary anymore."

"That may be so, but I am under orders of my own mistress to kill you," Sebastian said in return. "What kind of butler will I be if I can't even do something that simple?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes.

"Someday, Michealis," he said. "You will regret that you've ever wanted to eat that puny human's soul." He held out his hand and a ball of blue flame flickered to life. "Until next time."

Before Sebastian could react, the other demon threw the ball of fire onto the ground below him. Flames erupted everywhere. When everything calmed down, Nathan was nowhere to be seen. Sebastian frowned before letting out a sigh. With an effortless jump, he rejoined his mistress and master back in the mansion.

Rune was staring at the lifeless body of Jefferson when her butler came back. There was a bloody bullet hole on the tanned man's head. Sebastian walked up to his mistress and bowed deeply.

"My deepest apologies, Young Mistress," he said. "I've failed to carry out your orders. The demon ran away."

Silence. Slowly, Sebastian looked up from his position. "..Milady?"

"..Oh, Lord…" the girl sighed aloud and slapped her forehead. "How am I going to explain this to the Queen?"

The demon blinked at his mistress's words. Eventually, his expression melted into a smile and he chuckled. Rune was finally back to her usual self.

"I'm sure you'll be able to think of something, milady.."

Sebastian figured he would probably never regret making a contract with the girl. She was an interesting soul, after all.

* * *

**Hey yo! Finally some fighting~! okay.. the title was random (i ran out of ideas on what to name it lols)**

**Anyway, it my first time writing fight scenes so go easy on me in that part. I would love to have some advices about writing them too *w***

**And, in case your wondering what exactly is Rune's personality, i guess you could say that.. she's the.. uh.. 'mess with me and i'll kill you type" ^^' As you can see, Rune acts differently before and during a mission so.. yeah.. i guess that's just how she is. (sorry for the confusion!)**

**Exams are nearing so the next update might take a little longer. (sorry 'bout that!)**

**Kuroshitsuji ain't mine. Thank you for the reviews everyone! =D **


	11. Chapter 10: New Servants

It was a warm peaceful day. It was eight thirty in the morning and Rune was having her breakfast as usual. She sipped the Earl Grey tea that Sebastian had brewed for her as she read the daily paper. The news about the murder case had spread. Rune wrote her report to the Queen a few days ago. She explained that the master was constantly abusing his servants over the years. Because of that, the servants pleaded the butler to help them. The butler, who wasn't fond of his master either, agreed. He killed the master and immediately ran away and disappeared.

What was written in the newspaper, however, wasn't that detailed. All that was stated there was that the case was successfully solved and the culprit has been found.

The girl folded and placed the paper on the table before turning to Sebastian who was standing to her right.

"Sebastian.. please clear my schedule for today." she said.

The demon raised an eyebrow. "Milady?"

Rune inhaled deeply before explaining. "My sister was killed in this mansion. Our security isn't perfect. Never mind a demon, even a measly human could infiltrate here without a problem anytime."

"….What are you trying to say, exactly?" Ciel asked. His mistress regarded him and smiled mischievously.

"We are going to hire some new servants."

**xXx**

"Are you really sure about this?"

The duo was sitting in a carriage. Rune stared outside the window as Ciel tried to convince her that it was a bad decision.

"If its capable servants we're talking about, I can't think of any that are better than those of the Phantomhive household." Rune replied, focusing her gaze to her younger butler.

"Capable my ass.." Ciel mumbled under his breath. "We can't even guarantee that they're still there," he reasoned. "Before I left with Sebastian, I told them to do whatever they want with the mansion." he said. "And I'm supposed to be dead."

The mistress smiled softly. "Its time they know the truth, don't you think?"

"Hmph.." Ciel folded his arms and leaned back on the seats. He couldn't really argue with his mistress. Besides, his mistress's wishes were absolute.

He gazed blankly at the scenery outside. For the first twenty minutes, everything seemed foreign to him. But slowly, they came across familiar roads and landmarks. Sebastian made a turn with the carriage and they drove into a path somewhere into the woods.

The trees parted and revealed the courtyard of a huge and old-looking mansion; the former home of Ciel.

Sebastian parked the carriage somewhere outside the gates and proceeded to help his mistress and master down. Then, they headed to the gates. The gates were chained shut and were locked with a huge padlock. The padlock looked rusted, as if it had been left there unmoved for years. Ciel shot a glance at his mistress. Rune's expression remained unchanged and the boy sighed.

"Sebastian.."

Rune need not say more. The demon bowed slightly and stepped forward. He slipped his hands between the metal bars and lightly tapped the padlock. The lock unlocked at his touch. Sebastian pushed the gates open and stepped aside for his mistress and master.

Rune gasped as they entered the courtyard. The whole land was far wider and bigger than that of Rune's home – though, there were some huge clumps of earth her and there. Ciel sighed when he noticed them but said nothing as he walked ahead to lead the way.

After walking for a while, they reached the front door to the mansion. Before Rune could reach the doorbell and ring it, a huge explosion sounded from somewhere in the mansion.

""Holy-" the girl jumped with a start. "What the heck was that?"

She glanced at her butlers. The two demons were rubbing their temples and slightly shaking their heads.

"That…" Ciel sighed again. "..was probably the kitchen. They're still here."

"What?"

Before Rune could ask more, the door opened and a maid looked out. She had dark purplish-red hair tied in twin-tails high at the back of her head. She wore a blue maid outfit with a white apron and a big pair of spectacles that covered half her face.

"..I thought I heard someone.." she mumbled as she poked her head out and adjusted her glasses. Then, she saw Ciel and Sebastian standing directly in front of her (Rune stepped aside on purpose to let her see them first) and froze.

"Maylene… is someone there?" a voice chirped from inside and another servant of Phantomhive looked out. He had messy blond hair and his fringe was clipped aside with a few red pins. He had emerald green eyes and a pale complexion that made him resemble a female. He wore a straw hat around his neck and a plain shirt with plaid pants. Judging from his attire, Rune guessed he was the gardener. He too, froze when he saw the demons.

"Oi.. what's taking the both of you so long just to answer the friggin door?" a deeper voice yelled and a taller and older man came out, shoving the other two aside. He was another blond, but he had blue-grey eyes. An unlighted cigarette hung in the corner of his mouth. He wore a chef's outfit with a pair of goggles hanging loosely around his neck. "Just tell them to get the hell-" he stopped abruptly when he realized why his co-workers were frozen. He stared at Ciel and Sebastian, not believing his eyes.

"B-Bocchan?" the gardener finally managed to stammer.

Ciel sighed a little sarcastically. "How long does it take you three to recognize me by sight?"

Sebastian smirked inwardly as if his master's behavior amused him – which, of course, it did. The demon turned to the servants and said with a smile;

"It has been awhile, Finnian, Maylene, Bardroy."

Without a warning, all three of them jumped on the demons, pushing everyone flat on the ground.

"Bocchan! Sebastian-saaannn!" they wailed as they attempted to give the squirming demons a huge group hug. "We missed youuuuu!"

Rune watched everything from the sidelines, not wanting to ruin the moment. But, it still didn't keep her from giggling and laughing as her butlers tried to untangle themselves from the crowd.

Finally, the Phantomhive servants calmed down and stopped trying.

"..But how..?" the maid muttered as she readjusted her glasses again. "Its been roughly four years.. and.." she paused. "..Bocchan and Sebastian-san still look the same as they did before they…left…."

Ciel shot an uncomfortable glance at Rune, but the girl merely nodded grimly. He turned to his butler, who did the same. He had no other choice. But then, his mistress was right in a way; the three were loyal to their jobs even after their master was 'dead'. They deserved to know.

"You three.." the boy stood up and patted some dust from his shirt before facing the servants. "There's something.. I need to tell you."

**xXx**

"So… Sebastian was a demon all along… and bocchan got turned into one years ago…?"

They were all inside the mansion, sitting across the kitchen table where the chef uses to lay out his ingredients to cook a recipe.

Ciel nodded. He'd taken off his eyepatch to show his ex-servants his sign of contract. Sebastian did the same with his gloves.

"Demons can take any appearance they want.. that's why Sebastian and myself look the same even after a period of time.." the young demon explained before putting his eye patch back on.

"I should've known.." the chef, Bard, mumbled. "Sebastian's a demon. That explains why it seems that nothing is impossible for him to carry out…"

"..Come to think of it… where's Tanaka?" Ciel asked as he looked around.

"Tanaka-san got very sick soon after you left, bocchan.." the maid, Maylene answered sadly. "So we sent him back to his family…so that…" she didn't finish her sentence. Ciel realized what she meant and nodded a little bitterly. So many things happened after he left with Sebastian…

"Ne, who's that boy over there?" Finny, the gardener asked suddenly, pointing towards Rune who was standing in the corner. She hadn't said a word ever since they entered the mansion and the demons almost (_ALMOST_) forgot she was there with them.

"_Lady._" Ciel corrected. "That is my mistress."

The servants stared at him like he was crazy.

"Bocchan's… mistress?"

"She's the reason we're here at all."

All of them turned their gazes to Rune. Rather reluctantly, Rune walked over and introduced herself.

"I am Rune Whitefield. Ciel and Sebastian's mistress… and contractor." She peeled her bandages and showed them the twin pentacles on her palm.

"Whoa.. I never thought that the Young Master would…" Maylene accidentally exclaimed out loud.

"Hunger, unfortunately.. is a powerful thing.." Ciel muttered under his breath.

"Anyway, I'll go straight to the point," Rune continued. "I would like the three of you to work for me in my mansion."

The servants exchanged nervous looks.

"You can still work under Ciel and your jobs will still be the same." The girl offered. "You can even continue calling him bocchan – I don't mind. And I'll allow you to return here maybe twice or trice every week if you want."

There was a moment of silence.

"..I'm sorry, little miss.. as much as we want to… " Bard started.

"Phantomhive manor is the only place we can call home.." Maylene said.

"And our job is to protect it at all costs.." Finny ended the sentence.

Rune caught a quick glance at Ciel. The young demon would probably never admit it, but Rune could've sworn she saw awe in his expression at that moment.

"Alright… if you do not wish to come, I will not force you." Rune stood up and smiled. "But if you ever change your minds.." she fished out a piece of paper from one of her back pockets and handed it to them. Written on it was an address. "..then you're all welcomed to my mansion any time." Then she headed to the door, with her butlers behind her.

-Some days later-

Sebastian knocked on his mistress's bedroom door before popping his head in. Rune had just been woken up and was getting off her bed.

"Pardon me for intruding, but you've got guests, Young Mistress."

The girl unsuccessfully stifled a yawn. "..Who is it?"

"You'll know soon, milady.."

Rune regarded her butler suspiciously for he had a smirk on his face. Shrugging it off, she threw on her robes and headed to the main hall.

Three people with bags of luggage were standing in the middle of the hall when Rune came. The mistress's eyes widened with surprise when she realized who they were.

"The servants of Phantomhive, reporting for duty, Young Mistress!" they shouted in unison, each beaming like there's no tomorrow.

Rune stared at them and blinked blankly. "..Huh?"

"We've decided. It doesn't matter what our jobs are, as long as we get to work for bocchan again, we'll go anywhere!" Finny said cheerfully.

"But we'll still go back to the Phantomhive manor once in a while," Bard grinned. "Since that was what you offered."

Rune was speechless for a brief moment before a warm smile crept onto her face.

"Very well then. Welcome to my home," she said. "I look forward to working with the three of you."

* * *

**Okies... this chapter is finally done~ (sorry i took my own sweet time writing it... I've just finished my exams a few days ago T~T)**

**Aww man... I feel so down after hearing what happened in Japan.. I really hope everyone's ok...QAQ**

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. All views and reviews appreciated. **


	12. Chapter 11: Spirit in the Cellar

**And... here's another unoriginal idea~ (yes, I admit it. I got the idea from one of the Kuro eps.)**

**Also, you might realize that I changed the summary (I finally thought of something more interesting.. or not.. *shrugs*)**

**Anyway, Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Thanks for the reviews and views! =D**

**PRAY FOR JAPAN PEEPS! THAT'S AN ORDER! (lol joking about the order part)**

* * *

"What… in heaven's name is this..?"

Rune stared at the plate of burnt god-knows-what that was presented before her, gulping.

"That's Bard's special strawberry scones, Young Mistress!" the chef proudly replied. Rune continued staring at the black charcoal-like food in front of her. Normally, she would just pinch her nose and swallow everything whole. But after _some_ unfortunate experiences, the girl decided that wasting just a little won't do much harm.

"Look, Bard… I know you spent a lot of effort to cook this but.." she hesitated. Luckily for her, Sebastian came in that moment and presented her with more _edible_ looking goods.

"How many times have I told you?" he nagged the chef. "You do _not _use a flamethrower no matter what dish you're cooking. And you do _not_ serve the Young Mistress things like_ these_."

The mistress chuckled. It'd been already two weeks since the Phantomhive servants agreed to work in her mansion. She was already used to getting her garden destroyed, her kitchen blown up and getting most of her plates broken in one day – heck, if it wasn't for Sebastian and Ciel, her mansion would be blown to pieces by now.

Rune was just heading to her study to do some work after her breakfast when the sound of hastened footsteps sounded along the corridor.

"Young Mistreeeeeeesssssssssss!"

Rune turned, and to her surprise, she got tackled head-on by Maylene.

"Whoa, whoa! What's wrong?" the girl asked, struggling from the servant's grip.

"T-The cellar.. there's a… there's a..!" Maylene stammered.

"Calm down, Maylene. Tell me what's wrong."

The maid took a deep breath and tried to do as she said.

"I was going around cleaning the house," she started. "I was dusting the servants' rooms when I noticed there was a door just outside, near the kitchen. I thought I wanted to ask you about it later, but.." she paused and braced herself for her mistress's fury. But Rune's expression remained unchanged.

"Ahem..curiosity got the better of me and I..um.. decided to explore it," Maylene continued. "The doorknob was rusty, as if it hasn't been used in a long while. I turned it with a little difficulty and pushed the door open. I was expecting to see a room, but instead, it was a flight of stairs that leads further underground. Without thinking, I went down. Strangely, the temperature dropped as I descended. By the time I reached the end, it felt as if it was winter in that very place." She took another deep breath. "The stairs led to the cellar. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing.. then suddenly.." she shuddered. "I saw a figure."

"It might've just been some unused furniture of something.." Rune reasoned.

"No! It wasn't!" the maid sounded scared now. "It was a figure of a human… and it was glowing."

"Glowing?" the mistress raised an eyebrow. "As in 'giving out light' glowing?"

Maylene nodded. "Before I could turn and run, it told me one thing."

"What was it?"

"Get out of my home."

**xXx**

"And so, we are going to investigate this tonight." Rune gathered every one of her servants as she explained what she was going to do. Days had passed since Maylene's encounter with the apparition. Rune had left it alone, but strange activities began to happen in her mansion. Plates were taken out of the cupboard and were broken by themselves. Furniture moved. The servants all swore that they could hear banging sounds coming from the door that led to the cellar in the middle of the nights. Rune beared with the happenings at first, but it was the last straw when the documents she spent hours sorting were mysteriously thrown all over her study.

"You aren't planning on going down there alone are you, Young Mistress?" Finny asked shakily.

"No, but don't worry. I don't plan on dragging the three of you down there with me," Rune replied coolly. She then turned to her demon butlers. "But Ciel and Sebastian will be going with me. Is that alright?"

The demons lifted their right hands over their left chests and bowed stiffly before giving their reply.

"Yes, my lady."

Rune smiled. "Okay then. For now, let's have dinner. I'm starving."

Right after dinner, the mistress went to straight to the place her maid mentioned to carry out her plan.

"Are you sure this is a good idea..?" Maylene nervously asked. "I mean… it's a spirit you're dealing with.."

Rune gave her a confident smile. "I sold my soul to two demons, and I'm still not regretting it." she said. "How could I be afraid of a lowly ghost?"

She said it, but she couldn't help feeling a little afraid herself. Pushing the feeling away, she approached the door and turned the knob. As soon as the door opened, a blast of cold wind hit her. Rune waited until it calmed down before descending into the darkness.

The mistress carefully made her way down step by step for she carried no illumination. Every time a candle was lit, a breeze would extinguish it just as fast. As Maylene said; the temperature dropped with every step they took. Their breaths soon became steamy.

"…What are you going to do when you're confronting it down there?" Ciel asked suddenly from somewhere behind his mistress. The sudden sound after a long silence almost startled Rune out of her wits.

"…D-Don't k-know.." Her teeth were chattering from the coldness of the surrounding. "I'll p-probably j-just t-t-talk h-him o-or h-h-her o-out o-of i-i-t.."

"How do you know if it'll work?"

"I-I r-read a l-lot o-of b-books. I-It's a-always t-the b-b-best w-way.."

"Except those are all fiction." The young demon said matter-of-factly. "In case you haven't notice, this is a real-life situation."

Rune sighed. "..Lets j-just s-see what h-happens, okay?"

The girl was practically shivering by the time they reached the bottom. Even though her eyes should already be accustomed to the darkness, she couldn't see a thing. Rune squinted, but all in vain. Swallowing, she called out in her steadiest voice.

"Is there anyone here?"

Silence.

"If there is," Rune continued. "Answer me NOW!"

Silence still.

"There's no use trying to hide. I know you're here. My maid saw you."

The temperature suddenly dropped dramatically. A faint glow began to form in the middle of the room. Slowly, it took the shape of an old hunch-backed man. His forehead had layers of wrinkles and his head was almost bald. His eyes were glassy and lifeless.

"Leave my home." he said, anger echoing in his tone.

Mustering all her courage, Rune took a step forward.

"This is my home now, and it had always been."

"Leave now, girl. Or else you'll suffer."

"I won't. It is you who has to leave."

The spirit laughed darkly at this. "Me? Leave? If only that's possible!"

Rune tilted her head aside a little. "What do you mean?"

"Its non of your business."

"No.. I might be able to help.." the girl said, already forgetting about her initial reason to be there. "Tell me, why can't you leave?"

"Hmph.. its all you humans' fault!" he spat. "I died very suddenly in the 1750s and was buried here at this very spot. My family was poor, and they could not afford an actual burial so they just dumped my body into a hole that was dug in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't accept the fact that I was dead so I was unable to pass on. I thought there must be a mistake. But when I finally came to my senses, it was too late. You humans had already begun to build this mansion without knowing about my grave. And just like that, I'm forever trapped here."

The mistress was silent for a moment as she thought. Finally, she snapped her fingers and said;

"Let me light a candle."

The ghost was surprised by her odd request. "Why?"

"Just let me. I think I know a way to release you."

"You think? That doesn't seem convincing…" he mumbled but granted it anyway. He waved his hand and just like that, the darkness lifted from the cellar. Rune could see figures of racks and other old unused things. But it still wasn't enough. She spun around and faced her butlers.

"Sebastian, give me some light."

The demon nodded. "Understood."

Without even using a match, he lighted the candle he brought along earlier. A small flame flickered to life and Rune took the candle by its holder. She explored the whole cellar, despite the chilling glares she got from the ghost. Finally, she bent down and knocked on the wooden floor. She then did the same to some other places.

"This… is where you were buried, right?" the girl said as she knocked the part of the floor that sounded particularly hollow. The ghost nodded.

"I see…" Rune stood up. "Your remains should already be gone by now.."

"What does that mean?"

Rune did not answer. Instead, she searched everywhere for something.

"…I found it!" the girl exclaimed out loud as she held up a small piece of yellowish paper.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" the spirit snorted.

"This… is the only memory of you left in this world.." Rune said as she walked over and showed him the item she held. It was a small photograph of an old man. He was smiling and his eyes had that sparkle in them, like he was the happiest man in the world at that time. And it was the photograph of the ghost.

"That's.." he mumbled, almost too stunned for words. "I thought they.."

"The reason you couldn't pass on… wasn't because you couldn't accept your death.." Rune said softly. "It was because you were angry. You thought your family buried you and completely forgot about you. You wanted to at least be a memory; to be remembered. But you didn't realize, there _was_ a memory of you after all."

The ghost faltered before regaining his composure. "And what if its true?" he asked coldy. The mistress smiled.

"I'll help you. I'll help you pass on."

"How?"

"You'll see.." She then turned to climb up the stairs. The demons followed.

"..Where are you going?" the spirit asked.

"..To the backyard." Rune answered. "Meet me there."

So they reunited in the backyard. Rune was standing in the middle of an empty land with a spade in her hands. She ordered her butlers to find her a suitable sized stone before bending down and proceeding to dig a small hole. The demons did as she asked and came back with a moderately big stone. Rune gingerly placed the photograph into the hole she dug and covered it. She took the stone from her servants and laid it just above the buried photograph.

"..There.." she said. "I hope that's enough to satisfy you."

The spirit's form shimmered and he stared at his own fading hands.

"..What..?" he murmured in slight disbelief.

"I just gave you a proper burial, stupid!" Rune said with a grin.

"But… why?"

"I want your soul to rest properly and return from where it came from. I don't want you to be bound to earth." she said. "..and I don't really appreciate you messing with my home..."

Fortunately for the mistress, the spirit did not hear the last sentence. He stared at Rune and his expression softened.

"I guess.. I should thank you.." he said.

"You're welcome." Rune replied. "But before you leave.. may I know your name?"

The ghost blinked.

"…Its Peter.. Peter Wilkinson."

"I'm Rune. Rune Whitefield."

"..Rune.." Peter's spirit repeated. "..That's a nice name."

The girl smiled. Then her expression turned a little sad. "Goodbye, … Mr. Peter."

Peter closed his eyes and mumbled. "Finally…I'm free…" Then his form faded into the night skies.

Rune stood there in silence for a moment before suddenly letting out an enormous yawn.

"Well! Now that that's over.. I think I'm going to bed.." she said as she stretched her stiff limbs before turning on her heels.

"…Return to where he came from, huh?" Ciel remarked as he trailed behind his mistress. Rune looked back and laughed slightly.

"What else did you expect me to say?"

But actually, the girl found it quite ironic. Fancy her saying it to a ghost; while there was absolutely no chance for her to go to heaven herself. She meant what she had said earlier. She had made a pact with demons, and she still hasn't regretted it.


	13. Chapter 12: Orphanage

"Are you sure you do not require a carriage for this, Young Mistress?" Maylene asked as she and the others stood at the gates. Rune was dressed in old, faded, and slightly ragged clothes. Ciel was no better. He wore a clinical eyepatch and clothes which condition was very much alike with his mistress's.

"..Yes.." the girl replied. "We'll just go there by foot."

Rune had been given her next mission by the Queen. Several children at an orphanage ran by a church community were reported to be missing – to have their existence erased, to be exact. Visitors, fund-raisers – people of that sort had paid the place a visit every now and then and had claimed to find at least one or two children disappeared. They would then ask the nuns and other children about them. And their answers were always weird stares and replies like, "Who is this person you speak of?"

And so, Rune had been sent to investigate the matter. She and Ciel had planned to go in and make further movements there. Sebastian was to play the part of the one who rescued them in the streets and also the one who_ coincidentally_ wants to tutor the children of the orphanage.

"Take care of the mansion while I'm gone, alright?" she told the former servants of Phantomhive. "I don't expect to see my home in ruins when I come back."

The three clumsy, but very cheerful servants straightened up, raised their hands in salute, and yelled in unison;

"Yes, my lady!"

Rune smiled. "Well then.." she turned. "Time to visit the orphanage."

It was a long walk from Whitefield mansion, but they finally arrived at their destination. When Ciel first heard the word 'orphanage', he expected it to be a small building cramped with kids without parents. Clearly, he hadn't been visiting places much even after becoming a demon. The building was almost as big as his own manor. Even though it looked old and rundown, children could be seen playing and running about through the windows.

Sebastian reached out and rang the doorbell. Rune and Ciel prepared to put on their most pitiful and sad expressions while they waited for someone to answer – just to fit in with their orphan act. A few seconds later, the door creaked open and a plump nun looked out.

"My, is there anything I can help you with, young gentleman?" she asked when she saw the demon.

"Pardon me for asking, but is this the orphanage ran by the Church of Gospel?" Sebastian said with a slight smirk on his face for he was enjoying the act.

"..Yes.." the nun replied. "Yes it is."

"I see.. well, before I state my other reason to be here, I should go to the more important matters first.." He then stepped aside, showing her the two what-seemed-to-be frightened children.

"Oh you poor dears!" she exclaimed before rushing out. "Please, do come in…all of you.." The adolescents nodded timidly and followed the nun in. Their plans were going on well.

"First things first, I'm Sister Bernadine. You can just call me Sister Bern like most of the children here," the nun introduced herself as she showed them around. "Say, what are your names dears?"

Ciel did not say a word so Rune answered for them.

"..I'm Rune… this is my brother, Ciel.."

"I found these two sitting alone in the streets.." Sebastian said as he played along. "I thought that since I was planning to come here anyway, so I brought them along."

Now, that sentence sounded plain wrong. But fortunately, Sister Bernadine didn't realize it. She kept on talking as she showed them around.

"These are the bedrooms.. where every two children shares one…" she said, leading them to a long stretch of rooms. Behind her, Rune exchanged glares with her younger butler. The message was clear: Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

Finally, they were led to a large common room.

"And here.. is where the children mostly spend their free time at.." the nun pushed the door open. Rune gazed into the room. There were children almost everywhere. Older ones sat in corners; chatting with each other, or reading. Younger ones chased each other around and played with various toys.

Seeing the unknown faces, a girl and a boy, both slightly older than Rune came up. The girl had dark hair and skin. Her eyes were olive green and she wore a cheeky but friendly smile. The boy, on the other hand, had messy brunette hair and a slightly more serious face. He had slight wrinkles at the sides of his mouth, which also meant that he smiled a lot.

"Ah, Kasandra, Ethan! Great timing!" Bernadine beamed.

"Newcomers, Sister Bern?" the girl, Kasandra asked, eying the two adolescents behind the nun and taking no notice whatsoever of Sebastian.

"Yes. Please, help them fit in with everyone while I have a talk with, alright?"

"Sure!" Without a warning, the dark girl grabbed Rune and Ciel by their hands and dragged them in. The two were too surprised to give a proper reaction.

The dark girl dragged them to the center of the room and shouted in a loud and clear voice. "Hey everyone! We've got some newcomers!"

Almost immediately, a huge group of children gathered around them, whispering to each other. She turned to the two confused looking teens.

"First, let me introduce myself." she said. "I'm Kasandra. Fourteen. You can just call me Kas like everyone else."

"And I'm Ethan. Sixteen. Pleasure to meet you guys!" the brunette,Ethan added.

Reluctantly, Rune introduced herself along with Ciel.

"..I'm Rune.. and this is my brother Ciel.." she said, rather nervous for many pairs of curious eyes were staring intently at them. "We're both thirteen."

"Aww.. there's no need to be afraid!" Kasandra teased in a friendly way and patted them on the back. "We're all family here."

"Ne.. onee-san and onii-san sure has fancy names, don't they?" a child from somewhere in the crowd stated loudly.

"Yeah…we get that a lot." Rune said, letting out a silly laugh and rubbing the back of her neck. "Our parents had crazy ideas…"

"Hey, why don't you say something Ciel?" Ethan asked, patting him lightly on the shoulder. "Let us hear your voice!"

But Ciel only gave him a glare before turning away. Rune sighed.

"My brother is a little shy.." the mistress explained. Ciel gave her another glare but she nudged him hard in the ribs. "And he doesn't like to talk."

"What happened to your hand onee-san, and your eye, onii-san?" a little girl asked, pointing at the stated places.

"Ella!" an older boy scolded. "That's not very polite!"

"No.. its fine.." Rune said with a smile. "You see.. we lost our parents at a very young age…we were poor and our home was burnt down. We had nowhere else to go, so we learnt to survive in the streets."

Ironically, the children listened with interest. Truthfully speaking, Rune felt bad she had to lie. But... she still had to carry out her job.

"We would occasionally stumble into fights," she continued. "And one went terribly wrong. What remained on me was only a scar, but Ciel…" All attention was immediately averted to the young demon's eyepatch.

"Tch…" Ciel cursed inwardly and looked away.

Murmuring broke out in the crowd. Then, a girl from beyond group of children cleared her throat loudly. The younger ones stiffened and stepped aside at once, but the older ones merely frowned before doing the same.

A girl, maybe the oldest of the same gender, strode through the path made by the orphans who made way. She had golden shoulder-length blond hair and startling azure orbs. She had a dollish complexion which could make anyone think she was one. And she was drop-dead gorgeous; even in the faded dress she was wearing at that time.

"_These_ are the newcomers? I was expecting them to be more decent looking.." she turned up her nose immediately once she caught a good glimpse at the adolescents standing in the middle of the crowd. _So much for the being gorgeous_, thought Rune.

"_Laura_.." Even Kasandra's tone was tinged with dislike. "Please be friendlier to them. Don't always expect everyone to be as beautiful as _you_."

"Hmph! You are one to talk, little gypsy girl.." Laura retorted. "Daughter of a gypsy indeed!"

"Don't you dare talk of my mother like that.." Kasandra said through gritted teeth. "She might be a gypsy, but my father's a gentleman, thank you very much!"

"Just admit it, _Kas_.." the blonde leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "You're just an unwanted child."

The dark girl looked as if she was going to give her a slap square in the face. Luckily, Ethan intervened before it actually happened.

"Cut it out, you guys! Laura, be nicer to everyone. Kas, please refrain yourself from doing the unnecessary." He said almost frantically. "You two should know better!"

Kasandra bit her lip and walked away angrily. Laura wrapped her arms around that of Ethan's and said in a seducing tone;

"My, Ethan… don't tell me you're _worried_ about _me_, are you?"

The brunette shook her off and made it look normal.

"Don't be silly. I'm just doing this because its my responsibility."

Laura pouted but he ignored it. Huffing indignantly, she took a distasteful glance at Rune. She then turned to Ciel.

"_Ehh_.." she inched closer to the demon and lifted his chin slightly. "Close up, you don't look too bad.."

The demon promptly swatted her hand away.

"Ciel.." Rune warned.

"Now don't you two start another fight-" Ethan hastened to cut in. But luckily, the situation was saved by a nun poking her head into the room.

"Lunch is ready, children! Keep your things and come to the dining room before things get cold!" she announced before disappearing behind the door.

Ethan heaved a sigh of relieve. "Alright everyone!" he yelled over the voices of rejoicing orphans. "You heard her! Everybody down to the dining room!"

"And girls!" Laura shouted in her high-pitched voice. "You are to follow me!"

There were a lot of silent groans but they did what she said anyway. Soon, everyone bustled out.

Aside from Ethan, Rune and Ciel were the last to leave. They stood there, still a little confused with the situation.

"..C'mon.." the brunette said with a smile. "Let's go to the dining room. I'll explain how things work over here while we're on our way."

**xXx**

The dining room was a huge chamber with three long wooden tables. Orphans were separated according to their genders and each sat at their respective tables. Nuns, on the other hand, sat at the very front, keeping an eye on things.

Rune headed to the girls' table while Ciel headed to the boys'. Ethan had explained to them that it was a tradition. They both picked an empty seat at the end of each table and settled down. Not long after they got comfortable, their meal was served.

The menu for that day was simple porridge. Even so, not a single child complained – except for Laura.

"_Whaat_? Porridge again?" she whined audibly. "Can't we get something better to eat?"

No one paid the slightest attention to her. They had gotten used to her spoilt, annoying ways. Rune minded her own business and proceeded to scoop up some porridge. She was slowly devouring her meal when a dark girl came and sat next to her.

Kasandra heaved a deep sigh. " I really _REALLY_ hate that Laura.." she mumbled.

"Why does it seem that she's in charge, Kas?" Rune asked in curiosity. "Shouldn't they let someone more capable to do the job?"

The older girl sighed again. "In this orphanage, the oldest of each gender are usually in charge." she explained. "But most of the older ones go out to live on their own when they reach the ages of eighteen or so. Laura is fifteen, and unfortunately, she's the oldest of the girls. Ethan, as you already know, is sixteen and he's in charge of the guys."

"But.. you were the one who came to greet us when we first came.." Rune recalled. "Shouldn't that be one of Laura's responsibilities?"

"Ah.. that's another problem.. You see, Laura abuses her authority. She uses her title only to order younger children around. She hates newcomers; often saying that their not beautiful enough, this, that… ugh.." Kasandra made a disgusted face. "I'm second eldest of the girls, so I do the welcoming job instead of her. You could say that I'm second in command or something."

"I see.." the mistress nodded. "To be honest, I would prefer you to be the leader and not that whiny brat.."

Kas giggled. "Yeah.. Many of my friends told me that.."

After a moment of silence, Rune glanced around the dining room, trying to look curious – though her true reason was to find for hidden passages and so on. Her gaze settled on the nuns' table. The girl blinked.

_Is that Sebastian? Wait…what the hell is that demon doing?_

The raven haired man was surrounded by young nuns, all trying to get his attention. Kasandra realized what Rune was looking at and raised her eyebrows.

"Hey… who's that?"

Without turning to face her, the younger girl mumbled;

"I think... we might find out soon..."

* * *

**Cliffhang? I dunno... it kinda looks more like its half done to me.. *shrugs***

**Kuroshitsuji's mine? Not even if the Earth breaks into half (trust me, it might happen)**

**Excuse my mistakes~**

**Reviewers thanked profusely!**

**Btw, I'm _KINDA_ running out of ideas here... (this arc is as far as I could think of for the time being) so... suggestions are highly welcomed! =D **


	14. Chapter 13: Lessons

**Another meaningless (quite) chapter~ ^^**

**This chapter focuses more on Ciel and less on my OC cuz I realized that Rune shouldn't be standing out too much... **

**I'm also experimenting with a new writing style so.. um.. it might not make much sense at some parts ^^'**

**Anyway, Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Excuse my stupid mistakes. **

**Reviews are very much appreciated! **

**Enjoy! =D **

* * *

Ciel thought it was ridiculous.

Why on earth should he, Ciel Phantomhive, stay in that freaking orphanage, cramped among nothing but crowds and crowds of insignificant fools? He sighed at the obvious answer: Because his mistress ordered him to be with her.

It was ironic. All his life – even after his parents' death - he had never even thought of visiting an orphanage, much less stay in one. Yet, there he is now; sitting at the corner of a ridiculously long table, surrounded by nothing but buffoons. His gaze wandered from the plate of food placed before him to around the large hall. He didn't want to eat. He was a demon now. He could not taste human food anymore.

His mistress was at the other table, talking with the dark girl who pulled them into the common room earlier; Kasandra. Ciel heaved another sigh. He knew Rune had forgotten about her mission once again.

His gaze wandered towards the table at the very front; the one used by the nuns. He realized with a start that his butler was there. But wait… why is he _surrounded_ by nuns?

Ciel face-palmed. This was going too far…

"Is the porridge really that bad that you're crying?" a joking voice sounded from beside him. The young demon removed his hand from his eyes. Standing there and smiling was the owner of the voice; Ethan, the head of the boys.

Ciel shook his head. Ethan pulled a chair over and sat next to him.

"You know.. you should really be careful when Laura is around.." he said, serious all of the sudden. "That girl's a terrible flirt and once she got her eyes on you, she won't give up until she finds another target…"

The younger boy gave him a look that obviously meant "_Do I look like I care?_"

Ethan laughed and patted him on the back. "But… I can see that you don't give a damn, huh?"

Not long later, lunchtime was over and all the children got ready for their daily classes. They gathered at a large room which was supplied with tables and chairs. Each took a seat and waited.

"Alright everyone… I've got some wonderful news for all of you.." Sister Bernadine beamed as she stood at the front of the class. "Please come in, Mr. Michealis.."

In stepped Sebastian, dressed in classic tutor outfit. His raven hair was swept back and he wore a pair or spectacles. He stood next to the nun and bowed.

"This is Mr. Sebastian Michealis," Bernadine introduced. "He will be helping with the tutoring from now on."

Excited murmurs broke out among the orphans. Girl straightened their clothes and hair. Boys tried to look more decent.

"However," the nun continued. "Only children at the age of eleven and above will be under him. The rest will be taught by Sister Anne like always."

Younger orphans groaned in disappointment. The older ones grinned. Fancy them having a new tutor so suddenly!

The older orphans stood up and headed to another room as their names were called. Of course, Rune and Ciel were among them. The class had very little students, for most orphans were aged ten or younger. Still, it was enough for them to form a proper class.

Every adolescent took a seat. Ciel sat at the very back and so did Rune. Others sat at any vacant seats they could find.

"Now.. before I start, I would like all of you to introduce yourselves," Sebastian said after everyone settled down. "..Starting from the front row."

And so, the orphans stood up one by one and stated their respective names and ages.

"..Ethan. Sixteen."

"..Kasandra. Fourteen."

"Laura. And I'm.. fifteen," The blonde flicked her hair over shoulder seductively. Sebastian took no notice.

Finally, it was his mistress and master's turn.

"..Rune. Thirteen."

There was a moment of silence before Ciel decided to open his mouth and let his voice out.

"…Ciel. Thirteen."

If he wasn't a demon, Sebastian would not hear a word for it sounded softer than a whisper. But, he did. Smirking to himself, he proceeded with the lesson.

Ciel took no interest whatsoever with his butler's teachings. Why bother listening when you've already known it all? He glanced at his mistress who was sitting at the seat next to him. Rune had her arms on the table and was resting her head on them. She was sleeping in her butler's class.

The young demon thought of waking her up, but decided otherwise. Rune had woken up extra early that morning, and Ciel expected she would just whine and ask for another ten minutes before actually waking up.

Unfortunately though, Sebastian had eyesight sharper than those of a hawk and noticed her slacking in class almost immediately. Saying nothing, he wrote an unbelievably hard mathematical question on the blackboard and turned around to face the class.

"Does anyone want to try answering this?" he asked with an amused tone. Nobody responded. No one dared to answer.

"Hmm…" a smirk crept onto the demon's face. "How about you over there? The girl with russet hair."

Being asleep, Rune did not hear nor reply him. Sighing to himself, Sebastian walked over and shook her until she woke.

"Wh-Wha-?" the girl mumbled after stifling a yawn. Some of her classmates giggled.

"Solve that question on the board!" the boy sitting in front of Ciel whispered to her loudly. Still confused, Rune looked up.

The mistress might be clever in making the necessary plans when carrying out a mission, but Rune wasn't born a genius. And Ciel knew that first hand – it would take him forever to teach her even the most common facts of history, let alone the complicated mathematical formulas.

Rune stared blankly at the board and blinked.

"What?" she blurted out a little too loudly. "That doesn't make any sense!"

More giggling and restrained laughing broke out.

"It looks like our little newcomer's an idiot!" a high pitched voice snickered over the commotion – Laura's. But the younger girl did not react to it. Rune wouldn't deny the fact that she wasn't gifted with intelligence higher than those of an average young human adolescent.

Sebastian heaved a sigh and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright then… Is there anyone who is willing to give her a hand at this?" he asked.

To everyone's surprise, it was Ciel who stood up and headed to the front. He picked up a piece of chalk and started writing things that made sense to him, but seemed meaningless to the rest of the class. To him, questions like this were easy as hell.

Casually, he put the chalk down after making a perplexing calculation and quietly headed back to his seat. Sebastian smiled as he studied his master's work. As expected of his master.

"This is correct." he announced. Immediately, every student in class turned to Ciel. How could Rune be so slow while her brother's a genius?

**xXx**

The orphans had their tea after three excruciating hours of lessons with Sebastian. After that, they took turns to use the bathrooms. Younger children took naps after their bath while others took the opportunity to rest and do whatever they want.

Ciel had his turn to bathe first for most the boys had theirs faster. Rune's turn was soon after. They had been given cleaner clothes to change into and to the girl's delight; they got cotton shirts and shorts – her favored clothes.

The two went back to the common room after their baths. No one paid much attention to them. Some merely looked up from what they were doing for a brief moment before resuming.

Nothing much happened for the rest of that day. Everyone had dinner late in the evening and were all sent to bed soon after.

"I'm sorry, you two.." Sister Bernadine apologized as tired orphans started retiring to their respective rooms. "We've only got one room left in the boys' dorm as the girls' are already full." She explained and turned to Rune. "So.. I hope you won't mind sharing your room with your brother, Rune.."

The russet haired adolescent turned to her butler. Ciel remained emotionless so she shrugged.

"I guess… it won't hurt.." she said. "I'll share with Ciel."

"Let me show the two of you to your rooms then."

And so, they followed the nun to a room at the very end of the hallway of the boys' dormitory. Fishing out a bundle of keys, Bernadine unlocked the door and showed them inside.

The room wasn't big, but it wasn't small either for it was only meant for two people. There was a study table near the window and a small clothes cupboard opposite it. A middle sized bed lied next to the table. And even though it was a vacant room, it was well cared for. The furniture was dusted. The bed sheets were arranged neatly. Everything seemed to be in order.

"I'll leave the two of you to your privacies now." The plump nun then disappeared behind the door.

Rune immediately threw herself on the soft bed.

"Bed at last!" she breathed. Ciel stared silently at her. Exhaling, the mistress sat up.

"Looks like… we'll have to share.." she muttered, looking directly at Ciel. The young butler shrugged.

"I'm a demon. Sleep is something we do not require." he said.

"You can still do it if you want to, right?"

The boy regarded her dryly. Rune flashed him a smile and patted the place beside her. Finally, Ciel gave up and heaved a sigh. His mistress was too persistent. He walked over and sat at the corner of the bed.

"…Fine."


	15. Chapter 14: Chant

Rune couldn't sleep that night.

It was strange. When she first settled down under the covers, she could hardly open her eyes. But for some reason, her eyes refused to close now that her head was plopped on the soft pillow.

Besides that, she was also a little _too_ aware of her younger butler sleeping right next to her.

The two used the same bed for there were no extras and Rune insisted that Ciel slept with her. Now, she was reconsidering her decision. Although they were separated by a bolster between them, Rune felt queer to sleep with someone the opposite gender that had no close relation her. Its not like they're lovers or anything. Even their relationship as siblings was just a big fat lie.

Rune stared at the soundless nights outside through the nearest window and wondered; how could such a pleasant place be suspected by the Queen? She'd often thought like that but she knew, nothing should be judged by appearances alone.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her back and was face to face with Ciel. Despite his talk about demons not needing sleep and all that, he slumbered soundly. Rune studied the adolescent before her. Ciel looked so different asleep compared to when he is awake. His expression was peaceful, just like a sleeping child. His almost permanent scowl was also not there.

As Rune watched, Ciel's expression changed slightly. His brows furrowed a little and he mumbled something that Rune couldn't exactly make out. The mistress wondered if demons could get nightmares.

Without thinking, she lifted a hand and gently stroked her butler's head; brushing his long, grayish-blue bangs from his face, hoping to help him ease whatever he was experiencing. Sure enough, Ciel's expression softened. Rune smiled to herself. As if her body moved by itself, she leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the demon's forehead.

"Pleasant dreams, Ciel…"

**xXx**

"Hey, you two! Mr. Michealis is looking for you guys!"

Ethan banged loudly on the door and called out. Ciel was already awake, but Rune was trying to get back some lost sleep. Letting out an enormous yawn, she finally managed to drag herself out of bed.

Ciel opened the door and Ethan immediately shoved him some clothes.

"Get changed before going see him." he said. Ciel nodded before taking the offer and closing the door.

The two took turns turning away to let each other change. After that, they headed to where Sebastian is.

According to the head boy, Sebastian was also staying in the boys' dorms. He was using the room where a priest used to stay in before he left a few years ago and it was located at the highest floor. They went there.

Ciel kept feeling his forehead on the way. He could've sworn something happened that had to do with it, but he couldn't recall what it was exactly. Rune noticed it and hoped that she wasn't blushing too noticeably. She knew very well what happened the night before between her and her butler.

The two adolescents were walking along the hallway when a young nun came out of the room which was supposed to be Sebastian's. Her clothes were a mess and she was flushed.

Raising an eyebrow, they continued heading towards their butler's room. They knocked before turning the doorknob to enter.

Sebastian's room wasn't much different from theirs. It had beige wallpapers and a wooden floor. A study table stood opposite a big bed. The most noticeable thing was the huge cross right above the bed. Though religious people often say that a cross is capable of repelling demons and so on, it didn't seem to bother Sebastian at all.

The demon was looping his tie around his neck when his master and mistress entered. Rune and Ciel did not even bother to ask what happened.

"Ah.. good morning, Young Mistress.." he greeted, his trademark smirk stuck on his face. "And you too, bocchan."

"..Found anything?" Rune asked, going straight to the point.

Sebastian's expression turned serious.

"Yes, but it isn't much."

"Tell me whatever's important."

"…I do not exactly know about it, but there's something the members of this church are hiding. I did some… exploring last night, and found some kind of secret passage in the chapel. I thought of going in, but was somehow discovered and forced to retreat. "

Rune nodded gravely. "…I see…"

Meanwhile, someone was perching on a tree branch just outside the room, watching them intently through the window.

"I've finally found you.." he muttered maniacally. "I found you at last, my little Sebas-chan!" And he dived towards the window.

The demon's immediately sensed something and instinctively stepped back. The glass window shattered and someone jumped in, lunging towards Sebastian. The demon butler dodged and the intruder ran straight onto a wall.

The mistress stared at the man on the wall. He had long, red hair and wore a pair of red framed glasses over his yellowish green eyes. He wore a red coat around his elbows and a pair of high heeled ankle boots on his feet. When he opened his mouth, Rune also noticed that he had a set of shark-like teeth.

"Sebastian… who is this… _person_?" she said it as if the word person was the last thing she could think of.

"Nobody that I know, Young Mistress.." Sebastian replied, brushing some dust from the sleeves of his shirt.

"Hey!" the redhead pouted.

"That's… a shinigami.." Ciel said, staring at him in dislike. Rune turned.

"Shinigami?"

The younger demon nodded. "The people in charge of collecting the souls of those who die."

Rune looked back at the redhead. He was trying in vain to glomp Sebastian but the demon merely stopped him by putting a foot on his face, looking a little too casual.

"..He doesn't look like one.." the girl retorted.

"..That's fairly enough, Grell Sutcliffe," a new voice sounded. Another man appeared out of nowhere, almost scaring the living daylights out of the inhabitants of the room. He wore a black suit, tie, gloves, and dress shoes. Like the one whom they've come to indentify as Grell, he wore a pair of glasses.

"Will!" Grell immediately stopped at what he was doing, looking surprised.

The one named Will sighed and readjusted his glasses with the clipper of the rod-like object he held. He then turned and regarded Sebastian.

"So we meet again.. demon." He glared at him in detest. Sebastian merely smiled smugly in return.

"Hmph…" the death god turned away. "I don't care about your business as long as you do not intervene with our jobs." He grabbed the back collar of his partner's shirt and started dragging the flailing man towards the broken window. "Now let's continue with our work, Sutcliffe."

**xXx**

Rune headed to the chapel with Ciel and the rest of the orphans. It was a Sunday and they were all to have their prayers. The two sat at the last bench at the back. Nuns filed in at the platform. Senior nuns like Bernadine led the ceremonies.

At first, it all went normally. Children and adolescents sang the usual hymns. Although she stopped believing in God, Rune tagged along. Ciel, on the other hand, kept his mouth shut the whole way.

The strange part started as soon as the songs were over. Nuns and orphans began chanting in a language unknown even to Ciel. Confused, Rune glanced around.

Everyone had blank expressions and were all staring in space – as if they were hypnotized. As minutes passed, the chanting got louder. The atmosphere in the chapel was no longer like those of a merry church. Rune could feel the malicious intent all around her, even though she was human.

For the first time since they got there, the girl felt afraid. The air around her felt suffocating and dark. Hesitantly, she grabbed her butler's arm and held it tight. Ciel did not react to it so she kept holding on.

The volume of the chant increased. Rune took a quick glance at the owner of the arm she was clutching. For a brief moment – barely five seconds - she saw it. The young demon's single visible azure eye glowed blood red, similar to the times when they are obeying an order. Rune found it strange, for she knew that a demon's eye will not change color unless they are obeying their contractor's order or having demonic intents. But before she could ask about it, Ciel blinked and the subject of Rune's thought disappeared like nothing happened.

**xXx**

Sebastian was fixing the broken window in his room.

_Damn those good-for-nothing shinigami_ he thought. Barging in like that and start breaking things. Worst of all, they left it all for him to fix.

Sebastian sighed. Though it was a little annoying, he would rather stay in his room than joining his master and mistress in the chapel. He hated hearing the crappy beliefs of those naive humans.

He was hitting the last nail when he sensed something. It was evil, dark, and a feeling he was most familiar with: starving. The demon narrowed his eyes. _Another one?_ He wasn't sure.

Not long after he felt it, there was a knock on his door. Sebastian sat up from his lying position and permitted whoever that's outside to enter. The door opened and both his contractors stepped in.

"Sebastian…" Rune's tone was dead serious. "There's something we need to ask you."

The demon butler nodded grimly. He expected that it had got something to do with what he sensed earlier.

"Just now.. in the chapel… everyone started chanting in some kind of unknown language. They all looked as if they had been hypnotized." Rune said. "The air in the atmosphere changed. It was almost impossible to breathe normally." the mistress paused and glanced at Ciel. "And… at one point… Ciel's eye glowed.. even though I did not give an order."

Sebastian expression remained unchanged.

"If you don't mind me asking, Young Mistress… But do you remember any words from this chant you speak of?" he asked.

Rune tilted her head and tried to recall some words she heard. The ones she remembered turned out to be the ones said when she saw the change in Ciel's eye. Like Ciel, Sebastian's eye glowed for a very brief moment as soon as the words escaped her mouth.

Sebastian's frown deepened when he realized what happened.

"That's… an ancient language from hell…" he said. "A hymn to boost a demon's power considerably; and even capable of causing lower ranked ones to lose self-control and become a wild beast worse than how they already are. "

"..But who would want to do all these?"

"Its dead obvious, isn't it?" Ciel spoke after listening in silence almost through the whole conversation.

Rune's eyes widened. "Don't tell me…"

"Yes." Her other butler confirmed it. "It's a demon."

* * *

**Oooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkk =D another cheesy chapter! T~T**

**I was actually struggling on how to describe some of the scenes so... please-go-easy-on-meh!**

**I've got some reviewers asking for Grell so... I chucked him in! =D (lol sorry that he only got a small part in this chapter *bows* I'm kinda running out of ideas right now...)**

**Anyway, kuro isn't mine. Thank you so much for the fifty reviews! *cries happy tears***


	16. Chapter 15: Disappearance

Ciel watched as his mistress snapped.

It happened after their conversation with Sebastian. Ciel headed back to the common room with his mistress after having a minor discussion with the elder demon.

When they reached their destination, they were greeted by the sounds of a crying child and a large commotion. The two pushed through the crowd to find out what was happening.

A boy, maybe six or older, was crying his heart out. Several older ones were trying to console him. Ciel soon found out the cause of the commotion. Standing indignantly in front of the child was Laura. And she held something in her palm.

A thought of interfering crossed the young demon's mind. But fortunately for him, he needn't do so. He watched as Rune marched right up to the older girl and snatched the item from her hand. She then squatted down in front of the crying boy and handed him the tiny item; a candy, patting him gently on the head. The child immediately stopped crying and stared at her with his teary eyes in admiration.

"Thank you, onee-san!" he chirped and disappeared into the crowd, rejoining his group of friends.

Others stared at Rune in a mixture of surprise and shock. She was the only person next to Kasandra or Ethan who actually stood up to the blonde.

Laura crossed her arms and made a face, ruining her beautiful features for a moment.

"..Stay out of this.." she hissed. "_Shorty_."

Rune's eyebrow twitched.

Call her fat. Call her a boy. Call her ugly. Call her retarded. Call her abnormal. Call her the devil – she wouldn't care one bit. Rune knew she wasn't born perfect.

But to comment on her height…

"Don't you dare call me that…" she said through clenched teeth. ".._Ever_."

"Oh? The shorty doesn't like to be called short?" Laura mused. Rune balled her fists.

"Shut up."

"Well.. you're the shortest, tiniest, smallest, wee little _midget_ I've ever seen in my whole life." The blonde taunted.

And that was when Rune finally snapped.

With a huge force she shoved the older girl hard onto the floor.

"Look here, bitch.." she growled, letting anger wash over her. "Nobody, and I mean, _nobody_ comments about my height. Yes, I admit it. I'm _vertically challenged_. And I don't have the best looks and brains in the world. But so what? At least I'm not a freaking spoilt brat like you!"

This amused Ciel greatly and he smirked as she continued watching from the sidelines. _This was getting really interesting…_

"Kas should've been the head of the girls and not you," The russet-haired girl continued to lash out mercilessly, not caring about the blonde's feelings. "You abuse your power. You target younger children to pick on. You look down on people just because they're not as beautiful as you. You treat us all like we aren't even worth shit." Rune pointed at the wide-eyed girl on the floor. "You are a bloody disgrace to all of us in this orphanage."

Murmurings of agreements sounded from the crowd that had gathered to watch.

"..she's right…"

"..she's been treating us like dirt…"

Tears of humiliation welled up in Laura's eyes. She stood up and took an enormous sniffle.

"I hate all of you!" she screamed and ran off into the hallways.

**xXx**

Sebastian was walking towards the common room to gather the students of his class when an adolescent bumped on him. The demon stood his ground but the other fell flat on the floor.

"O-ow.." Laura whined as she rubbed her aching butt.

"..Are you alright?" Sebastian asked before holding out a hand to help her up.

Immediately the girl saw her chance. She somehow managed to make her eyes teary again and pretended to be pitiful.

"Oh, Mr. Michealis!" she said, looking up at him and clinging onto his coat. "Its that horrible Rune! She hit me and scolded me for no reason in front of everyone in the common room.." she pretended to sniffle.

Unfortunately for her, it was almost impossible to fool a demon. Sebastian knew at once that she was lying. But since he needed some entertainment, he went with the flow. He made it look as if he was listening to the brat blabbering on and on about his mistress doing this and that.

"..Um… Mr. Michealis?"

Sebastian blinked out of his thoughts.

"Very well." he said nonchalantly. "I'll deal with it."

**xXx**

Rune was still breathing heavily after her outburst. She had put up with that damned blonde long enough. Laura was lucky that Rune restrained herself and merely used words and not physical contact. The mistress had to maintain self control to keep her image for the sake of her mission. She wouldn't want to be blacklisted just yet.

"Whoa Rune…" Kasandra came up to her, beaming. "That was… whoa.."

Rune made a silly laugh.

"…I didn't know you were that sensitive about your height.." Ciel retorted with a smirk. His mistress shot him a death glare.

"You're not that tall yourself, Ciel."

"Taller than you, at least."

Fortunately, Sebastian came into the common room before another fight broke out. Everyone stopped and stared because… clinging on the raven-haired man's arm, was Laura; pretending to be scared and helpless. Many made faces, thinking how ridiculous the older girl was acting.

Sebastian said nothing, but the adolescents knew it was time to file into their classrooms. Tidying the place and picking up some textbooks, they headed to their respective classes.

"..Trigonometric identities are equalities that involve trigonometric functions and are true for every single value of the occurring variables. Geometrically, these are identities involving certain functions of one or more angles. These are distinct from triangle identities, which are identities involving both angles and side lengths of a triangle…"

The demon's lessons were complicating as usual. He soon left more than half the class scratching the back of their heads in confusion.

Rune was not spared from the group. She literally cracked her brain trying to figure out what exactly was being taught by her butler. She hated math. Heck, Rune hated every subject there is except music. The girl wasn't born with any musical talent, but she simply adored playing the piano even if every piece she played sounded wrong. Playing the piano was the only thing that could help her relax.

After what seemed to be a millennium, it was over. Adolescents gladly left the room, leaving memories of that 'torture' behind. Rune was last and was left alone with Sebastian. She was about to head outside to rejoin the others when her butler stopped her.

"..We need to talk."

Rune realized he wasn't calling her 'Young Mistress' like usual and raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Just come here."

She decided not to argue and walked nearer to Sebastian. The demon leaned down and whispered something into his mistress's ear.

"I apologize, milady, but…."

Rune frowned before nodding after hearing what he had to say. Then, their act began.

Sebastian pretended to nag at Rune and the mistress acted like she was guilty. After a while, the demon heaved a convincing sigh and told his contractor to leave. Rune nodded timidly before exiting into the hallway.

To her annoyance, Laura was standing there and Rune assumed that she stayed behind to hear her being 'scolded' by Sebastian. Judging by the smile of triumph in the older girl's face, she knew that the fool had been tricked by their clever act.

Rune wasn't going to do anything more about it. However, some orphans who were rather fond of her found out what happened and reported it to everyone in the common room.

"That idiot!" Kasandra cursed when she heard the news. "She's trying to get Rune in trouble just because she was telling the truth!"

"Calm down, Kas." Ethan said, though he had the same annoyed expression on his face. "Don't do anything rash just yet."

"Hell I should've did this long ago!"

"Kas! Wait!"

But the dark girl was already storming out of the room.

Rune was walking towards the common room when she saw Kasandra coming out. She raised an eyebrow and called out;

"Hey, Kas!"

Whether she heard it or not, Kasandra did not reply. Rune shrugged it off and proceeded to rejoin the others.

That night, Laura was called out during dinner. She did not show herself for the rest of the night which was a blessing to the orphans. They secretly cheered among themselves before heading to bed. Peace and quiet at last!

**xXx**

Rune woke up the next morning after a good night's sleep. Surprisingly, she was earlier than Ciel that day. She stifled a yawn before climbing out of bed to change out of her pajamas. She changed the bandages on her hand into fresher ones after swiftly brushing her hair. Then, she proceeded to wake the boy.

"…Ciel… its morning.." Rune whispered as she shook his shoulder gently. The young demon let out a soft groan before finally deciding to wake. He sat upright and tried to rub the sleepiness from his eyes.

"Good morning, Ciel!" Rune greeted him cheerfully. Ciel responded with an emotionless regard.

"…You're up early today," was all he had to say.

They both headed to the common room after Ciel got changed. They could hear the unmistakable sound of laughter from there even along the hallway.

Adolescents and children were having fun joking around and playing with each other in the common room. Everyone seemed more happy and relaxed; even the heads. And Rune realized one more thing: Kasandra was in charge that day.

"Where's Laura?" the russet-haired girl walked up to her and asked. All she got was a weird look from Kasandra and the rest of the orphans.

"Who's Laura?"

* * *

**Out of the picture at last! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *Ahem***

**Truthfully speaking, I hate Laura too (yay hi-5!) and I couldn't wait to kill her *_* (ignore the extra high idiot)**

**Btw, about the heights... Rune is 152 cm and Ciel is about 159 cm in this fanfic (yeah, he grew taller =P)**

**Anyway, i gotta say... the end of this chapter is kinda cheesy and rushed (I've got no choice! I NEEDED to make a cliffhanger)**

**Excuse the mistakes I've made! Hope you enjoyed this chapter even if its a little bit~ (and kuro still isn't mine =o=)**


	17. Chapter 16: Caught

**Next chapter at last! lol **

**I was quite excited to write this, actually, so there are some parts that are probably less understandable. (sorry bout that..)**

**This chapter focuses more on Rune cuz.. I couldn't find the right place to put Ciel or Sebastian in... (sorry again!) **

**Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews everyone! *bows again and again like an idiot* **

**Oh, and there's a little editing in the last chapter (but its nothing much. I just corrected Ciel's height after finding out about it Kuroshitsuji wiki)**

**Okay. I'll shut up now. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rune asked everyone there is in the orphanage and none of them save herself and her butlers seemed to remember the girl with the name Laura.

The mistress sat down and heaved an exasperated sigh during dinner in the dining room. It had happened again. Another victim was claimed right before her.

"What's wrong?"

Rune looked up. Kasandra was bending over her with curiosity clearly written on her face. Rune shook her head.

"Its nothing…"

"Doesn't look like it.."

"I'm sorry, Kas.." she sighed again. "You probably won't understand."

The older girl regarded her with a worried expression before standing up.

"..If there's something… feel free to talk to me about it.." she said and left.

Rune nodded and gave a reply softer than a whisper. "Yeah.."

**xXx**

It was the dead of the night and the orphanage was eerily silent. A figure crept silently in the hallways, careful not to make a single sound. Rune slipped pass dorms and headed to the chapel. The chapel seemed haunted under the moonlight. Rune rested her hand on the door and hoped it wasn't locked. Slowly, she pushed it open. The door made a slight creaking sound as it left its frame. Rune heaved a sigh of relief before going in and carefully closing the door behind her.

She waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Curtains of moonlight seeped through the windows high above. And yet, it was almost impossible to see anything in there.

Rune headed to the very front of the chapel, where the nuns stood during the prayers last Friday. If what Sebastian said was true, there was a door hidden just behind the platform. The girl went there and sure enough, it was there. But, Rune found it strange. The door was left ajar, as if someone was inviting her in.

Rune shook her head and told herself to forget about it. Mustering her courage, she opened the door wider and looked inside.

"This…" she gasped.

She couldn't finish her sentence. While she was engrossed with the finding the door she did not realize someone sneaking behind her. Swift as a viper, the person grabbed both of Rune's arms and held it behind her back.

This startled the mistress. "What-" Before she could say more a hand holding a piece of cloth clamped over her mouth. Rune cursed as she felt her eyes closing and her body weakening. Then, everything went black.

**xXx**

Rune's eyelids slowly fluttered open to the dim lighting of candles in a dark room. Her head felt heavy. For a moment, she had trouble recalling the reason she was there. Fortunately, it came back to her as soon as she thought about it. She was on a mission for the Queen; to investigate disappearances in an orphanage. She found the hidden door and was ambushed from behind.

Rune cursed. She was probably drugged for she felt groggy. She then realized another thing. She was chained to a huge cross-like panel; arms outstretched on either sides and feet together. The girl tried struggling against the chains looped around her arms but winced. Rune turned her head as much as she could. She could hardly focus her vision but she managed to make out what hurt her.

The chains were studded with tiny spikes, and some had already sank into Rune's skin. Fresh blood trickled from the wounds.

"Well, well… you're awake I see.."

Rune turned back to the familiar voice and narrowed her eyes.

"Bernadine.."

The nun laughed and her voice changed.

"You think you're so smart eh, Rune Whitefield?" The voice was Bernadine's, yet not exactly hers. Another malicious and eviler voice echoed with hers.

"Who… are you?" Rune demanded, trying to ignore her heavy head.

To answer her question, a black figure –literally- climbed out from the nun's back. At first, it was impossible for Rune to make out its appearance just by the candlelight. But when it completely climbed out and set foot on the ground, she saw it. It was humanoid with a panther's body from the waist up. Its whole body was the color of midnight. Its eyes – correction, empty sockets where the eyes should've been - glowed with hellfire. It bared its teeth and Rune saw the sets of sharp fangs that still had things that look suspiciously like human flesh stuck between them.

"Ah.. free at last.." it purred while stretching. Rune stared at it in stunned silence. The demon regarded her with a smirk.

"Does that answer your question, little Mistress?" he asked. "I am Mullin. Lieutenant to Lord Leonard, Master of black magic and sorcery."

"…What's your reason to be here, demon?"

"Its obvious, isn't it?" Mullin sighed. "To gain power of course. He promised that if I came here, I would obtain what I've always wanted and I would finally be able to surpass that old coot!"

"Hypnotism.." Rune mumbled. "You used it to make everyone here recite that chant for you."

The demon chuckled. "Your smarter than I thought, human.." he said mockingly.

Rune glared at him. "You mentioned that someone had promised you power if you came here." she said, trying to collect her thoughts. "Who was it?"

"That.." he paused dramatically. "..is not for you to know."

"Why bring me here then? Why not hypnotize me like the rest of the people here?"

"Ah… since you had the courtesy to ask, I'll tell you.." Mullim inched closer to the girl. "You see… I was also promised some decent meals if I came here. And Rune Whitefield… your soul.. is going to be very enjoyable indeed.."

Before Rune could react to what he just said, she heard a loud, scared whimper from somewhere to her left.

"Oh? Looks like my appetizer is awake at last…"

_Appetizer?_

Mullin walked out of Rune's field of vision. Suddenly, the plane where she was chained to was inclined vertically. Rune bit her lip as the studs on the chains sank deeper into her flesh. When the pain subsided slightly, she looked up. For the first time, the mistress realized she was on a platform in a chamber designed similar to the chapel. Seated in benches across the place were everyone in the orphanage; all in a trance-like state.

The other thing Rune realized was that she was surrounded with things that looked exactly like the torture devices she'd seen in books. There was a blood-stained iron maiden, crocodile sheers, iron chairs, thumbscrews, tongue shredders and many other things that Rune would not want to list out.

From somewhere behind her, Mullin wheeled out a huge bird cage. He lifted the cloth draped over it and to Rune's mixed emotions of surprise and horror, there was a person inside. Rune could hardly recognize her at first for she looked badly beaten up and scared, but it was definitely her. The adolescent in the cage was Laura.

Laura was hugging her knees and muttering something to herself while rocking back and forth. Mullin snapped his claw-like fingers and like the 'audiences' in the chamber, she fell into a silent trance. Bernadine (who was now in the same condition as everyone else since Mullin left her body) opened the cage and brought her out before Rune.

"This soul here.." Mullin ran a finger along the blonde's cheek. "..is tainted with envy, wrath, greed… and pride.. one of the best combination of flavours. But of course, with a little more spice and a suitable way of preparing it, we can make almost any dish taste better…"

Rune watched in stunned silence as the demon led the older girl into a coffin-like object with countless long spikes inside; an iron maiden.

"Mashed and soaked with gravy.." he licked his lips. "..absolutely delicious.."

In front of the mistress, he slammed the lid shut.

Rune turned away to avoid throwing up from the gore. There was a sickening crunch and blood splattered onto the exposed skin of her legs. Reluctantly, the girl opened her eyes. Mullin was hungrily devouring the remains of who used to be Laura, making quite a mess out of it.

The demon licked the blood off his hands when he was done.

"Delicious.. but probably not as much as the main course.."

He held up his hand and a whip appeared out of thin air. He advanced slowly towards Rune. The girl couldn't do anything. Struggling against the chains was useless. She'd thought of summoning Ciel and Sebastian, but her contract seal was hidden beneath her bandages and there was a possibility that she would fail.

"Sliced and eaten raw…. Wonderful indeed.."

Mullin raised his whip. Rune took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had no choice but to endure it.

And the demon swung his weapon.

**xXx**

Ciel felt a twitching sensation in his right eye.

He was reading a book under the moonlight in the room he shared with his mistress. He was under orders not to act until absolutely necessary.

His eye began to hurt.

Closing his book, Ciel headed outside. He stood still and tried to focus for a moment in the hallway to track down his mistress's exact location. Rune's scent was very faint so he couldn't be too sure about the direction of it.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps echoing along the hallway and turned. He heaved a relief sigh. It was just Sebastian. _He probably felt it too_, Ciel thought.

"Sebastian.." the adolescent said in a serious tone.

The elder demon nodded. "There's something interfering with our senses. A barrier, maybe."

Their contract seals twitched more urgently.

"We have to find her," Ciel decided.

"But my lord.."

"Sebastian," he cut his butler off. "That's an order."

Sebastian slightly surprised expression melted into a smirk. Lifting his right hand over his left chest, he bowed.

"Yes, my lord."

And they sprinted into the darkness of the endless corridors.

**xXx**

The chamber was silent except for the cackling of a whip.

It had been going on for what seemed to be eternity. Mullin made sure his aim was perfect and every swing of his weapon hit his target.

Rune's clothes were tattered and were barely hanging on to her thin frame. Her beige coloured shirt was stain deep red with blood. Every part of his body was bleeding. Her face was drenched with perspiration.

"..Why aren't you crying in pain, human?" the demon asked curiously without stopping his weapon. Rune bit her lip as her flesh near her lower thoracic was torn apart by the wretched item.

"..Hmph.." she moistened her lips, tasting her own blood and sweat. "I was forced into slavery… when I was a child…" Her voice was strained. "..I made many attempts to escape… and failed…. My punishments.. were always the same as these… To me… this is nothing…"

"…Is that so.." Mullin stopped for a moment and thought. He then picked up a metal rod (which was conveniently nearby) with a deadly sharp tip and wiped his hand over it. The spot where he touched immediately glowed molten red.

"Then… I don't suppose.. you've ever felt having your eyes poked out with a hot rod?" he smiled menacingly.

Rune didn't respond. She was too exhausted even to speak anymore. She wanted to just close her eyes and drift off… never needing to wake up ever again….

But wait.

If she died, the contract will be broken. She would fail to have her revenge. It would be her fault that her butlers lose yet another meal.

She could not die just yet.

Mullin arched his arm backwards and plunged the rod towards the girl's face. Rune squeezed her eyes close and held her breath. She pictured her contract seal glowing and poured her thoughts into it.

_"Help me, Ciel, Sebastian!"_

* * *

**Yeah..I'm a sadist.**

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Look forward to the next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 17: Rescued

Rune could feel the heat just inches away from her face.

Very reluctantly, she opened her eyes.

The tip of the point was a centimeter from her left eye. Gulping, Rune forced herself to look further ahead.

Her servants had stopped Mullin's weapon just in the nick of time. Rune almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. Ciel held the molten hot metal with his bare hands like it was the most normal thing in the world to do and Sebastian had a dining knife pressed to the black demon's neck.

But then again, her butlers were demons too.

Mullin snarled and retreated by leaping into the air and landing not far from them. Sebastian sent a knife flying towards his direction. Mullin swatted it away like a bug, but he did not see the trick. Mullin, being distracted by the cutlery, Ciel had his chance. With a flick of his hand, a set of forks appeared. He took aim and launched them into the air, straight at his target.

But Mullin was a more experienced demon. He dodged the silverware like it was nothing and lunged in for an attack, sharp claws ready to shred anything he touches into bits.

Sebastian intercepted him to protect his master.

"Oh?" the black demon mused, studying the crimson-eyed demon. "I didn't expect to meet the famous Crow here…"

Sebastian ignored him and poured more force into his silverware. Mullin deflected and sprang into the air. Sebastian followed and the battle resumed mid air.

Meanwhile, Ciel proceeded to help his mistress. He waved his hands over the chains and broke them with ease. Rune fell forward and Ciel caught her before her feet touched the ground. The girl winced when her butler accidentally touched her raw wounds.

"O-ow.." she groaned.

"..Apologies, milady.." Ciel said as he carried her to somewhere safe. He set her down leaning against a wooden box. Ciel kneeled next to her and placed his hands over the wounds on Rune's right arm made by the studs in the chains. A warm, green light emitted from his hand and Rune could feel the pain on her arm subside a little.

"..I didn't know.. demons could heal.." Rune retorted.

"..I'm only stopping the bleeding.." Ciel replied. "..You need preserve your strength.. so don't talk…"

"…I'm fine.." she winced again when beads of sweat reached her open wounds. "Go help Sebastian.."

"He won't need me.." Ciel moved to heal her other arm. "I'll just be a burden if I interfere.."

"Tell him… careful not to hurt the people.."

Ciel turned and immediately saw what his mistress meant. He nodded and took his eyepatch off.

"Sebastian!" he shouted. "This is an order! Kill that demon.. and don't get the audience involved!"

Sebastian, who was in the middle of a fight in thin air, did not even blink at his master's voice.

"Yes, my lord."

Having given permission, he went full force. Sebastian landed on a vertical wall and leaped off, lunging straight towards his opponent. Mullin tried to counter, but Sebastian was too fast. The demon butler managed to make a gash in his upper abdomen with his silverware. He landed on yet another wall and leaped off again, travelling at speeds so fast that he only looked like a blur of black to his master and mistress.

Rune's vision turned hazy and she blinked hard. She squinted to watch the battle as Ciel worked on her wounds. She couldn't make out what was happening exactly, and could only see sparks once in a while when Mullin successfully blocked or deflected Sebastian's attack.

But it was over soon. Mullin made a bad move and Sebastian took the chance. He knocked him out of the air with a mighty kick and sent him crashing into a rack full of torture items. Mullin tried to stand up again but Sebastian caught hold of his neck and lifted him a few inches above the ground.

"Go on." The semi-animal demon urged. "Kill me. You've won."

"..Who sent you here?"

Mullin blinked at his question before bursting into amused laughter.

"Hmph.. you should know better, Sebastian Michealis.." he smirked. Sebastian narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me… who it is.." he said, tightening his grip.

Mullin chuckled. "Why… _you_ were the one who sent me here, Lord Lucifer.."

"Tch.." Sebastian frowned. He fully closed his grip and with a final weak laugh, Mullin burst into flames, his ashes dissolving into the air.

Seeing that his job was done, Sebastian reunited with his master and mistress. Ciel saw him walking over and stopped at his healing.

"..Is it over?" Rune asked, barely able to keep herself conscious.

Her servants nodded in unison.

"I see… " she muttered.

"What do you intend to do now, milady?" Sebastian inquired.

Rune turned towards the inhabitants of the orphanage.

"..Their memories… will they remember anything?"

"..Considering the fact that they were under hypnotism, they probably won't be able to recall anything that happened after that demon came.."

The mistress nodded. "..That's good.."

The demons waited for her further orders.

"…Carry me, Ciel.."

Ciel did as she asked and carried her with ease, bridal-style. Rune leaned her head against her younger butler's chest and inhaled.

"..Let's go home.."

She then closed her eyes and passed out.

* * *

**A painfully short and cheesy chapter... I know D: I didn't even make it too 1000 words D: **

**Damn... and it took so long for me to update it too.. =3= **

***sighs* anyway... I would like to inform you guys that this is the end of the orphanage arc. The next few chapters will probably be fillers until I get another interesting idea... so please be patient with me! *bows* **

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine! Reviews very much appreciated!**

**P/s: the lucifer thing will be explained in further chapters so any questions about it might not be answered~ (depends on my mood =P) **


	19. Chapter 18: Phantomhive Manor

Rune woke up two days later with her whole body feeling as heavy as lead. She was completely wrapped in bandages; be it around her head, arms, torso, or legs.

On the first week, Rune needed help dressing herself, going to the bathroom, eating, or even sitting upright for she could not lift even a finger. Fortunately for her, her servants did their jobs well. Personal things like changing and using the bathroom were aided by Maylene. Ciel and Sebastian helped in other matters like feeding her or helping to do her paperwork. Finny and Bard, on the other hand, could only try their best not to mess up in their duties.

By the second week, Rune had healed fairly well and was able to move by herself again, though she still had trouble walking on her legs and needed to be carried around. Sebastian walked into her room once and found her doing her paperwork on her bed, Ciel at her side. When he asked, Rune simply answered with her usual cheerful smile;

"Better to do these now than to pile it up and suffer again right after I recover, right?"

**xXx**

Three weeks had passed since they returned from the orphanage.

It was early in the morning and Ciel was getting dressed for the day with the help of Sebastian. His butler excused himself after the last bow was tied and set off to his duties. Ciel too, did the same.

The adolescent gathered the necessary items from the kitchen and arranged them neatly on a cart. Then, he headed to his mistress's room.

Ciel knocked several times before entering. He parked the sliver cart he brought along to Rune's bedside going to draw curtains to let the morning sunlight stream in. He then proceeded to wake his mistress.

Rune woke up after some fair amount of groaning and cursing. Letting out a huge yawn, she sat upright and rubbed her eyes.

"…Morning, Ciel.." she greeted as the young demon went to brew some tea.

"..Good morning, Young Mistress.." Ciel handed her a cup of steaming drink. Rune accepted the offer and took a sip.

"..You're improving.." Rune complimented after the first sip. Ciel said nothing. He observed his mistress who had now recovered enough to move around on her own as long as she doesn't do anything too straining. Her arms and legs were still wrapped in bandages, and a piece of plaster covered her left cheek.

Rune finished the tea and Ciel turned around to let her change out of her night clothes.

"..We're visiting Phantomhive Manor today, right?" the girl asked as she buttoned her shirt.

"..Yes." her butler replied. "Sebastian is currently making the preparations."

"I see…" Rune ran her fingers through her hair and simply tied it into a loose ponytail. "Let's go then."

**xXx**

Until now, Rune had never forgotten her promise to three of her servants; that is to let them return to their former home once twice or thrice a week.

And so there she was, sitting opposite to Ciel in awkward silence in the carriage. Rune couldn't blame anyone though – she insisted to tag along.

The other servants were cramped up at the driver's seat, chattering excited for they were somewhat returning home. Fortunately, Sebastian was the one maneuvering the reins, and he had no intention to partake in their meaningless conversation whatsoever so they were in safe hands.

The road to Phantomhive Manor wasn't the most comfortable road in the world. Rune winced everytime they ran over a bump. But when Ciel raises an eyebrow in concern, she would just deny she felt anything.

After a long (and rear hurting) journey, they reached their destination. Ciel's former home looked bigger the last time the mistress saw it – though there was actually no difference. The ex-servants of Phantomhive immediately bounded into the huge compound as soon as the carriage came to a halt. Halfway through, however, they seemed to remember that they were in the presence of their mistress and stopped. They spun around instantly, ready to apologize over and over again for their behavior. But Rune merely smiled as she got off her ride with the help of Sebastian and said it was alright.

"..Ne, Ciel..?" Rune asked her younger butler as they made their way to the mansion.

"..Yes?"

"..Why don't we swap places when we're here? You'll be the master again and I'll be the servant."

Ciel gave her an uninterested look.

"You know I can't do that, milady."

"You can if I permit you to."

The demon regarded his mistress emotionlessly before his expression turned into a slight smirk.

"Are you sure you can handle it? My orders are mostly meant for demons to carry out, you know…"

Hearing this, Rune stopped dead in her tracks and kneeled down on one leg, bringing her right hand over her left chest – a playful imitation of what she had seen her butlers do.

"…Yes, my lord."

**xXx**

The first thing that came into Sebastian's mind when he entered the foyer was that it needed cleaning.

Even though it had only been approximately a month since the mansion was left unoccupied, layers of dust covered the carpets, walls, stairway.. – everything in sight was just filthy!

Sebastian fought the urge to order the other servants to get to work at once for he was no longer the head butler of the house, no matter how he tempted to clean everything up himself. But fortunately for him, he needn't to.

"..What are you dolts doing standing there gaping at?" Ciel's voice sounded from behind him. Sebastian turned and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Instead of Ciel explaining, Rune stepped forward and made her announcement.

"Ciel was the master of this house, and he still is now. Therefore, as long as we're here, he will be the one making the orders, just like how it used to be for all of you."

Everyone except the azure-eyed adolescent stared at her in surprise.

" ..But.. Young Mistress…" Maylene started but was promptly cut off by Rune.

"There is no 'Young Mistress' here." She said. "For now, I am only Rune, a humble servant just like all of you here. Earl Phantomhive is the one and only lord in this house, and I too, will obey his wishes. Is that all clear?"

More stunned silence.

Sighing, Ciel stepped a few steps ahead and stood amongst his servants, taking a good long gaze at the place where he grew up in. He then turned to face his ever loyal butler.

"..Do your job, Sebastian." The adolescent's eyes had that look of power; just like four years ago before he became a demon.

And nothing would've amused Sebastian more.

The demon butler lifted a hand to his chest and bowed halfway.

"Understood."

He stood upright and clapped his hands loudly several times.

"Everyone, get to work this instant! I want to see this place spotless without even a speck of dust by the Young Master's lunch time!"

"Y-Yes sir!" And in a trice, Bard, Maylene and Finnian scattered clumsily into different directions to carry out their duties. Only Rune, Sebastian and Ciel remained.

"What do you want me to do, Sebastian-san?" Rune asked, a confident grin plastered on her face.

Sebastian turned.

".. Do you know how to do any housework, milady?"

"..Nope!" The girl replied shamelessly. "And who's your 'lady'? I'm only Rune here."

Sebastian's expression softened slightly.

"If that's the case.. then I'll take the liberty of teaching you everything you need to know… after we escort bocchan to.. ah.. wherever he wants to go."

**xXx**

Ciel practically toured twice around the mansion before finally settling down in his office. He might refuse to admit it, but he really missed his home. Though he never showed it, he'd left Phantomhive Manor with a heavy heart four years ago and was tempted to return several times when he and Sebastian were hiding from the world.

"You two may leave.." the adolescent said, spinning his leather chair around so he faced the window.

Rune and Sebastian said nothing to argue and left.

As soon as the demon closed the door, he turned to his contractor and took a duster out of thin air.

"Now.. let's start off with the cleaning.."

And so, Rune spent the remaining morning learning to do house chores. She messed up, of course, but she managed to avoid breaking priceless antiques and such. She worked under the strict eye of Sebastian, and mistakes were not tolerated, even if she was just a beginner. She learnt how to dust, wipe, mop, polish… everything a servant needed to know.

Rune was finally allowed to rest when Sebastian went to prepare Ciel's lunch – not that he was hungy though. The young lord wanted to eat just for the heck of it.

Rune was taking a break in the servants' room when she heard the doorbell rang. Thinking it was strange for Ciel should no longer be having visitors, she reluctantly went to answer it.

The mistress opened the door and peeked out carefully. Standing at the pavement was a girl several years older than herself, with curly blonde hair tied in twintails that made them look like drills and emerald green eyes.

Elizabeth blinked when she saw the person who greeted her.

"Lady Rune?"

* * *

**ooooooookkkkkkkkkkk Remember when I said in the last chapter that the next few might be fillers? Erk. I take that back lol**

**We'll just take a break from the demon fighting Rune running around Sebastian killing and Ciel emotionlessly showing off his demon powers with some peaceful romance shall we? *w* **

**Sorry for the fairly late update! It'd been a freaking busy week for me and it was hard to find time for fanfic (besides, my brain was going on a lazy streak ^^') **

**Anyway, excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji wasn't mine.. and it still isn't =P **


	20. Chapter 19:Questions and Icecream

Rune stared blankly at the familiar blonde at the doorstep. There wasn't supposed to be any visitors in Phantomhive Manor and yet…

"..Lady… Elizabeth.." she gasped. _This is bad. This is bad._

But Elizabeth didn't even find it unusual that there were currently strangers in her ex-fiancé's mansion. Instead, she beamed and asked;

"What are you doing here? I never thought that this was the place where we'll meet again."

Without a warning, she walked into the foyers. To make matters worse, Sebastian had to be escorting Ciel to the dining room for his lunch – and they had to pass the place.

Nervously, Rune turned to look at the blonde's reaction. Lizzy blinked several times, as if not believing her eyes. With a shaky voice, she called out;

"Ciel! Sebastian!"

The two demons stiffened and stop dead in their tracks upon hearing their names called. Ciel turned to the source of the voice very slowly, his eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and fear.

"L-Lizzy?"

He got caught in a crushing glomp as a reply.

"Ciieeeellll!" she said, tears overflowing from her eyes. "It really is you!"

"..Let.. go… can't… breathe…" Ciel gasped as he struggled against the arms that threatened to squeeze the breath out of him.

After some more backbreaking hugs, Lizzy finally let go… only to shower him with more complicating questions.

"What happened? You went missing just like that four years ago after leaving notes and a candy declaring you were dead. I was so worried you know!"

She then realized something for the first time. Taking a closer look at the teal haired adolescent, she asked with a faltering tone;

"And why does Ciel… look exactly the same as he did before he left all those years ago?"

Sebastian heaved a sigh and turned to glare at Rune for putting them in such a complicated situation. The mistress could only look back apologetically. Sebastian sighed again. This is going to be troublesome…

Putting on his best smile, he turned to Lizzy.

"What great timing, Lady Elizabeth. The young master was just about to have his lunch. Would you care to join him?"

And of course, she agreed.

**xXx**

Rune stood in the background with the other servants as Sebastian and Ciel worked to cleverly make up a story as an explanation for their disappearance.

"..Ne… does she really believe in those things they're telling her?" Rune whispered to the servants she was standing with as they listened to Sebastian's ridiculous story of them time travelling and such.

"..Don't worry.. bocchan's ex-fiancé is naïve enough to even believe in the existence of unicorns.." Bard whispered back with a wink.

_'..But that was 4 years ago when she was still a child..'_ Rune thought but said nothing.

"Besides… it's also partly our fault for not warning you about this.." Finny added in, looking a little guilty. The mistress blinked at him.

"The three of you knew all along but still kept quiet about it?"

"We would have spoken up if her visits were regular.." Maylene explained. "But Lady Elizabeth visits at random for she often has to sneak away from the strict of her mother just to return here."

Rune averted her gaze back to table. Ciel and Sebastian had just finished their explanation. Rune held her breath as she waited for the blonde's reaction.

"…So that's it! No wonder the two of you don't look any different!" Lizzy exclaimed after a long pause. Rune resumed breathing.

"But then…" Lizzy turned to Rune and pointed at her questioningly. "Weren't you a Lady when we first met at the Queens' ball?"

Rune gulped – she remembered.

"I.. uh…" The adolescent shifted her weight from leg to leg as she struggled for the answer. "How do I…"

"Her family suffered from some financial problems recently.. and she was sent here to work under the Young Master to own some money.." Sebastian said smoothly with his fake smile on. "Isn't that right?"

Rune shot him a grateful look before nodding. "Yes."

"Hmm… I see…" Lizzy inspected the mistress from head to toe before asking more questions.

"If she's a female servant, then why is she wearing what she is wearing now? And why are her arms and legs wrapped in bandages? Did something happen?"

God… just shut up will you? Rune thought with a sigh.

"…Because she prefers wearing those over the normal maid outfit.." Ciel replied matter-of-factly. "And she got into a minor accident some time ago, resulting to those bandages.."

Lizzy had to think about it. Fortunately for everyone, Sebastian spoke up before she starting asking more questions than a 4 year old.

"My, look at the time.." he mumbled, looking at his pocket watch before slipping it back into his coat pocket. "I'm afraid it's time for the Young Master's daily lessons. Would you mind taking a rest in the room we've prepared for you while the servants clean up here, Lady Elizabeth?"

**xXx**

Ciel thought his day wouldn't get any worse.

There he was hours ago, thinking that he would have a quiet time in his former home as the master again. That idiot Elizabeth had to visit on that particular day.

Sebastian stopped mid sentence in his teachings when he saw his master sighing and not paying any attention at all.

"..Is something the matter, bocchan?"

Ciel shook his head. "It's nothing." He looked up towards the things Sebastian had written down on the blackboard before and his mood worsened.

"..I want to eat something sweet.." he mumbled after a sigh. "Bring me some."

Though a demon should no longer taste human food (and they needn't to anyway), Ciel could still slightly make out tastes. His demon side hasn't completely taken over his human side just yet.

Sebastian regarded the adolescent he was eternally bound with. How long has it been since he typically asked for sweets?

".. As you wish, my lord.." the older demon made a bow and left the study.

**xXx**

Rune was having her meal with the other servants after cleaning the dishes and table Ciel used.

"..I can't believe Lady Elizabeth asks more questions that an average toddler.." the mistress sighed as she put the plate she used away for cleaning.

"She's just worried about the Young Master.." Maylene said. "Before bocchan returned, Lady Elizabeth used to cry everytime she pays us a visit. Even with the notes and disappearance, she'd never believed that her betrothed was dead."

"Hmph.." Rune then proceeded to wash her plate at the sink. "She loved Ciel so much that she just couldn't let him go, huh?"

The three servants nodded.

"But… we're not sure if the Young Master feels the same about her though.." Finny mumbled under his breath. Rune turned and raised an eyebrow.

Before she could open her mouth to ask, Sebastian marched in. They watched as he took out a small glass bowl and headed to a high cupboard reaching for another bigger bowl filled with light-brown creamy substance. As Sebastian place it on the table, Rune saw whatever's in the bowl – chocolate ice-cream. Sweet, creamy ice-cream.

The girl stared at the dessert. How long has it been there?

Ignoring the stares he was getting, Sebastian scooped some into the smaller bowl and placed it on a silver tray.

"..For the Young Master?" Rune asked, trying her best to keep her salivary glands under control at the sight of the ice-cream.

"Yes." Sebastian picked the tray up and proceeded to make his leave.

"How about I take it to him instead?" Rune offered before he could leave. "You've got other things to do, don't you?"

The demon stopped in his tracks and gave it some consideration. _He did have a little black kitten to feed at the back of the house…_

Making up his mind, he handed the task to his contractor and left straightaway without saying a word.

Rune washed the soap water from her hands and picked up the tray supporting the delicate bowl, heading straight to Ciel's study before it could melt.

If she hadn't followed the first time Sebastian had escorted Ciel to the study, Rune would've gotten lost without a problem. But she had and could vaguely remember the twist and turns to her destination.

Rune knocked on a pair of mahogany doors and waited for a reply, hoping she got the right place.

"..Enter..!" Ciel's voice sounded inside. Heaving a sigh of relief, Rune opened the door and peered in.

Ciel was seated behind his desk, studying a piece of document stating his company's current status. One hand held the paper while the other was rested on the polished wood of the desk, tapping impatiently. Hearing the door being opened, he averted his attention from the document.

"..Where's Sebastian?" he inquired as Rune sat the bowl of ice-cream on the desk before him.

"He's got other matters to attend to.." Rune answered, standing back with the silver tray tucked under her arm. "So I offered to come instead."

The adolescent eyed her suspiciously before sighing it off and proceeding to devour the milky dessert presented to him.

Rune watched as her young butler enjoyed his treat. His scowl softened as he ate, but he still refrained from smiling.

"Ne, bocchan… why don't you smile and laugh more?" she finally gathered the courage to ask. That question seemed to surprise Ciel, though he was often asked the same in the past.

"..To laugh and smile… that's something I've forgotten how to do.." he said, slight bitterness in his voice.

"..After you became a demon?"

"No."

Rune stared at him, not knowing what else to say.

"..I lost the ability to feel happiness…long before I got turned into a demon.." Ciel turned away, waiting for his mistress's reaction.

But Rune remained silent. Without a word, she retrieved the now empty bowl and excused herself from the study.

She stood outside in the hallway after closing the heavy doors behind her. Lifting her arm, she wiped the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt. How could she ask such an insensitive question despite knowing the worst part of Ciel's past?

Rune was so angry with herself for being so insensitive that she would've slapped herself right there right then. But… she so badly wanted to see Ciel smile. Just once..

And that was when she made up her mind.

Rune was going to teach him how to feel the happiness that he had once lost.

* * *

**Yesshhhh! I finally finished a chapter using the amount of time I should use =D *dances around***

**ahem ahem.. sorry for the uhh... inappropriate craziness...**

**A very boring and meaningless chapter O-o though i had fun writing it...**

**If luck is on my side, I'll focus more on Ciel and Rune's relationship in the next chapter =D**

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! **


	21. Chapter 20: One hell of a fool

It was a fine day, perfect of the outdoors.

It had rained heavily the night before(and not to mention the fact that Elizabeth was there too), and Rune and the rest were unable to return to Whitefield Mansion as planned. Because of that, Rune decided to stay a little while longer at Ciel's home.

There were a lot of hustling and bustling in the kitchen early that morning as servants got to their jobs. Finny grabbed a tank of pesticide that probably weighed a ton and raced to tend to the gardens. Maylene did her best to balance a stack of plates on her arms for washing.

And Bard was trying to teach Rune the ways of cooking with a flamethrower… until Sebastian came to stop them from destroying whatever's left of Phantomhive Mansion.

Maylene suddenly let out a terrified squeal as she lost balance and dropped a high stack of plates. Calmly Sebastian caught every one of the dishes and helped balance the maid on her legs.

"T-Thank you so much for saving me, Sebastian-san!" Maylene said, flushing.

The demon did not respond. Walking over to Bard, he promptly confiscated the flamethrower.

"Goodness…" Sebastian sighed. "How many times have I told you not to use any kind of weapon to cook?"

"Aww.. don't be so stiff, Sebastian!" the chef grinned. "What's cooking without explosions?"

Naturally, Sebastian ignored him and proceeded to take off his coat and roll up his sleeves.

After a fair amount of shouting, cursing, nagging and close calls to the kitchen's destruction, Rune was finally able to make a sunny-side up under the guidance of her butler.

As Sebastian went on with his routine of taking over the other three servants' jobs, Rune headed to the dining room to do her part of setting the table for the master of the house. First, she wiped the thin layer of dust that gathered overnight off the polished mahogany table with a piece of semi-wet cloth. She then proceeded to arrange the plates, napkins, glasses, etc, etc.

Rune was in the middle of wiping fingerprints off the silverware when Elizabeth entered the dining room, yawning.

"Ah.. Good morning, Lady Elizabeth.." Rune greeted with a smile, looking up briefly from her work.

"..Morning, Rune.." Lizzy stifled another yawn before returning the smile.

"Breakfast is not ready yet, milady.." Rune informed. "So you would have to…"

"Its okay! I'll wait." Lizzy said, beaming brightly.

Awkward silence began to form as the young lady watched the adolescent carry out her job. Rune quietly wiped every silverware clean before carefully placing them on their places.

Finishing the task, Rune checked her pocketwatch. Thirty minutes past eight; about time for Ciel to wake up. The mistress went back to the kitchen to see if Sebastian would want to do it himself, but the demon seemed to be busy preparing a luxurious breakfast for both his master and the guest.

After giving it some thought, Rune decided to do it instead.

"I'm going to wake the Young Master, Sebastian-san.." she told him from the doorway.

"Alright.." Sebastian replied without looking away from the pot of stew he was stirring. "Don't take too long. Breakfast is almost ready.."

Rune nodded and headed to the hallways to Ciel's bedroom.

Lizzy was there when she exited the kitchen.

"Umm… do you mind if I follow you to Ciel's bedroom?" the blonde said almost shyly, blushing a little – which was unlike her. "I've got nothing to do for now and.."

Rune blinked at the sudden request before flashing a warm smile.

"Come with me then, milady..."

**xXx**

The two chatted softly as they walked along the endless hallways to reach Ciel's bedroom. Rune almost got lost several times if it wasn't for Lizzy, who, knew the mansion better than the mistress.

"..If I may ask, Lady Elizabeth.." Rune said after nearly making the wrong turn. "How was bocchan like when you first knew him?"

Lizzy expression turned a little forlorn as she recalled her past with Ciel.

"How was Ciel in the past, huh?" she muttered. "When I first met him through our parents after they decided to engage us, I thought: '_Wow.. what a beautiful boy!_' He had his father's teal hair and mother's huge blue eyes, you know. When we played together, he laughed and smiled like no tomorrow. And even if he cried when he fell down or lost a game, he could cheer up and smile again as soon as he was in the arms of his parents. "

Rune listened attentively without saying a word to cut in.

"..But after that incident, Ciel was… different.." Lizzy continued. "I was delighted to see him, don't get me wrong. But ever since he came back from God-knows where with Sebastian by his side, no matter what I did, I couldn't see his past self again. It's like… he just lost the reason to feel happiness, to enjoy himself…" Lizzy sighed before straightening up. "Even so, I love him for who he is, be it different or not."

"..Yeah…" Rune answered half-heartedly as she stopped in front of a particular door. For some reason, the conversation was beginning to sound queer and she regretted starting it in the first place.

Heaving a secret sigh, Rune turned and rapped the door.

**xXx**

Ciel waited and waited.

It was mid afternoon and he was in his office, staring at the piles and piles of paperwork that he had once abandoned. It was a beautiful day outside; sunny though autumn was coming to an end and winter was near.

Ciel waited for Sebastian to knock on his doors any minute to inform him that his evening tea was starting. Truthfully speaking, Ciel couldn't care less whether or not the tea was suitable to his tastes (he couldn't taste most of it anyway) or even about the fact that he had to have it with the annoying Elizabeth. He only wanted to get some fresh air and escape from his stuffy office.

Finally, it was time. Ciel gladly left his confinement (cleverly without showing it) and headed to the gardens outside. Lizzy was already there and Rune was helping to arrange and serve the food Sebastian had skillfully prepared.

Sebastian dutifully seated his master before announcing the menu.

"Today we're having a simple tea of strawberry scones and finger sandwiches along with some black Darjeeling tea.."

Ciel savored the delightful treats while Lizzy blabbered on and on about the things that he had missed over the years etc etc. Ciel just couldn't be bothered about all those.

Rune stood next to Sebastian in the background, doing her job of refilling cups of tea from time to time. Suddenly out of nowhere from the awkward conversation between her butler and his ex-fiancé, Lizzy glomped Ciel, getting overemotional for the second time about his return.

Ciel's face coloured as he struggled free from the grasp.

"H-Hey! Let go of me, Lizzy!"

Unfortunately for him, those words fall on deaf ears.

Rune stared at the scene in surprise. A strange, uncomfortable feeling stirred deep in her heart.

The unmistakable feeling of jealousy.

But…why was she experiencing such an emotion? It wasn't like she had loved Ciel to a different level. Until now he was more like a brother to her, not a lover.

Or at least that was what she thought.

**xXx**

Sebastian was the first to notice Rune's uneasiness.

He saw it with ease, though Rune did her best not to show it. What kind of Phantomhive butler would he be if he couldn't even notice something as simple as this?

The demon had to admit; humans were interesting creatures. They were unpredictable, naïve, complicated beings that gave such fun to demons who seek to devour them.

And in his mistress's case, things just couldn't get more interesting. Who would've thought someone like Rune would have special feelings for his little master?

But Elizabeth's sudden action managed to surprise even a demon like Sebastian.

Without a warning, Lizzy planted a kiss on Ciel's right cheek for no apparent reason, making him blush deeper red than he already is.

Rune's eyes widened. Even Sebastian held back a gasp. What the heck just happened?

"Oh my…" Lizzy pulled back, fairly red with blush herself after realizing what she did. "I'm so sorry, Ciel! I didn't-"

Ciel was too stunned to say anything. He tore his gaze away from the blonde and caught a glance at his servants standing to his left, waiting to be teased.

Sebastian's expression was so priceless he would've rolled on the floor with laughter if the situation wasn't that queer. But when he saw Rune, for some reason, he felt guilty – like he'd betrayed her.

Strange.

Ciel had never treated Rune like anything other than his mistress. He was just doing his job to protect her, to keep her alive until their contract is fulfilled. And yet.. why had he done some things that were highly inappropriate for a servant? Why had he embraced Rune when she was grieving over her sister's death just because he knew she wouldn't mind? Why was he so desperate to save her when she was caught by that demon in the orphanage?

Because he refused to lose his first meal in four years?

No. That just wasn't it. He wouldn't bother to go so far just to retrieve his stolen meal. He knew Sebastian had used to treat him the same before he was a demon; with a strong sense of fondness and possessiveness. A demon wouldn't go so far just for the food he will later consume.

Ciel finally realized that ever since the contract was formed, he'd became unnaturally attached to Rune.

He had somehow come to fall for her.

**xXx**

Rune gazed at the soundless nights outside as she sat on the floor near the window in the room given to her.

She thought about what happened that evening. Why was envy plaguing her emotions when Lizzy kissed Ciel's cheek? Since when had Rune become so possessive over Ciel?

Almost as if it was timed, a knock came from her door as soon as she heaved a heavy sigh. Raising an eyebrow, Rune went to answer it.

The adolescent blinked when she saw her younger butler standing in behind the doors she'd opened.

"..Bocchan?" she asked, slight surprise in her voice. "Is there anything I can do for you this late at night?"

Ciel said nothing. Instead he stood there, waiting.

A few seconds later, Rune got his message and stepped aside for him to enter. The young demon walked in and headed to where Rune sat a few moments ago, looking out the window and focusing his gaze at the bright full moon.

"…Its beautiful tonight.." he mumbled.

Rune walked over after closing the door and saw what he meant.

"..Come sit with me for awhile…" Ciel invited (though it sounded more like and order), patting the floor next to him. Rune did as asked.

Silence formed between them as they gazed at the moon dreamily, temporarily forgetting their troubles at its enchanting beauty.

"…Tell me.. Young Mistress…" Ciel started, his single visible azure eye still focused outside. "..When Lizzy … kissed me this evening.." he paused, embarrassed by the memory, before continuing. "..I saw your strange expression…" He turned this time, looking straight at his mistress. "Were you by any chance… jealous?"

Rune stared at him, color slowing rising to her face.

"You.. noticed..?" she asked, her voice as soft as a whisper.

"..It was hard not to."

Rune stared at him some more before heaving a sigh.

"You know… I've never noticed until today.. how much you meant to me.." she said, bringing her knees to her chest before wrapping her thin arms around them. "All the while I've thought of you not as my servant, but as my brother. But now… it feels... different…"

Ciel looked at her without saying a word for he too, had the same feeling.

"I can't believe it …" Rune smiled at the irony. "I fell in love with a demon that I'd offered my soul to, despite knowing full well at the outcome..."

Silence from the teal-haired adolescent.

"But then… you don't feel the same about me, don't you Ciel?" Rune turned away, hiding her expression. "You've already got Lady Elizabeth.."

"..I feel the same." Ciel's straightforward answer surprised even himself.

"Until now.. you were just my mistress; one whose orders were absolute for me to obey." he continued. "But today.. you weren't _just my mistress_ anymore. When Lizzy planted that kiss on my cheek today.. I felt as if I was betraying a particular person. And that person was you, milady."

Rune's eyes widened, but she still didn't turn back.

"But for a human to love an immortal demon.. that's just foolish.." she reasoned.

Hearing that, Ciel let out a soft chuckle as he gently brought his mistress to face him.

"If that's so.." he said, looking straight into her eyes. "Then I'm just one _hell_ of a fool.."

And that was when their lips finally met in a kiss.

* * *

**Hey everyone! This is my first actual romance chapter and I'm wondering if I did it too fast or something (though personally, i feel like I did) O_o feel free to point out some things that can help me improve~**

**I'm deciding to make their relationship as 'innocent adolescent love' and not 'crazy lust love' cuz well... as long as it doesn't involve an uke and seme (*w*), i think that underaged smut is just... gross ._. (and I'm too young to write about those stuff anyway)**

**Excuse my mistakes! Kuroshitsuji isn't mine.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews everyone!**


	22. Chapter 21: Return

**OMFG O_o thank you all so much for the 100 reviews! *cries and bows again and again***

**Aww man.. I feel so bad writing this chapter (cuz of the cheesiness, AGAIN) and disappointing you guys Q3Q And the last one wasn't _that_ great either... (oocness, rush, etc etc)**

**But anyway, I humbly request for this to be thought as a filler and not a proper arc cuz.. well... its _cheesy_ D: And I'm sorry again to disappoint some of you when it comes to Lizzy's reaction lol**

**I HAVE OFFICIALLY RAN OUT OF IDEAS. SUGGESTIONS HIGHLY WELCOMED.**

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine.**

* * *

Ciel confronted Lizzy first thing in the morning.

"I'm sorry, Lizzy.." he began as they sat down for breakfast, bracing himself for the blonde's reaction. "..But we can't be engaged anymore. I love you, truly I do. But only as a dear cousin and never more. That's why.. you need to let go of me."

Instead of throwing a huge tantrum as expected by the rest of the household, Lizzy smiled sadly nodded slowly.

"You know, Ciel.." she said, tears slowly welling up in her emerald eyes. "When you were gone, after two long years, my parents decided to call off our engagement. At first, I was against it. I sulked everyday for I was forced to do something I would never want to do. But then.. my parents introduced _him_ to me and.." she paused and sniffled. "He was charming, nice.. kind. Then I thought.. I thought that maybe I should let you go. I had to accept the fact that you were gone. I still had a life to live after all. And I couldn't cling on to you forever." Lizzy gave Ciel a teary smile. "Thank you for telling the truth on how you feel, Ciel. But just let me say that I loved you. As a cousin.. and as your ex-fiancé."

Elizabeth left that very afternoon. To everyone's surprise, she promised to keep Ciel's return a secret without asking a thousand questions about it.

"Now.." Sebastian said when Lizzy was gone. "It's time for us return as well."

Rune rode with Ciel in the carriage in their usual silence. They both gazed through opposite windows, a million things racing through minds – mostly regarding the incident that happened the night before.

After what seemed to be a long ride, they reached Whitefield Mansion.

"Forgive my rudeness, but please refrain yourselves from going beyond he gates just yet," said Sebastian with a bow when everyone had gotten off. They didn't need to ask why, though.

During the visit to Phantomhive Manor, Rune's home was left undefended; without even a guard dog to keep unwanted visitors away. And because of that, Rune had ordered for numerous traps to be set up around the mansion; just to be safe.

Sebastian headed to deactivate the first trap at the gates. Casually, he unlocked the padlock and gave the metal bars a slight push before taking a step to his left. A piece of thread so fine it was almost invisible snapped and an axe swung down from nowhere, and would've gutted anyone who stood at the spot where Sebastian was seconds ago.

The demon butler walked on, deactivating a trap with almost every step he took. At one point, he kicked a stone and the ground below him opened into a pit filled with boiling acid – he jumped out of the way just in time. At another point, he broke another fine string and fire erupted around him; burning him to ashes if he wasn't a demon that was immune to fire.

Some traps were set for humans. Most were meant for demons.

When the task was done, Sebastian headed back to the group outside and informed everyone that it was safe.

"Are you sure it's completely secure?" Rune asked almost shakily after witnessing the traps spring to life.

"Positive, milady," Sebastian replied with a smile. "All 105 traps had been successfully deactivated."

And so, with great reluctance, they entered the compounds.

**xXx**

Rune received a letter regarding her next mission from the Queen several days after her return from Phantomhive Manor.

"..Homeless children and adolescents in the streets taken in for prostitution before being murdered.." the girl mumbled grimly as she read the letter. "…Corpses have all their blood drained away and thrown into the river to rot."

Ciel said nothing as he brewed a cup of tea before handing it to his mistress. Taking a sip, Rune heaved a deep sigh and muttered under her breath;

"..What's going on with the world these days?"

That very evening, Rune gathered her butlers to come up with a plan as she always did before carrying out her job.

"..I'm going in to investigate further." she concluded after giving it some consideration.

"But we'll risk you almost getting killed again," Ciel reasoned. "And your wounds are not completely healed yet."

"I'll be fine." Rune smiled as she lifted her arms to show that they don't hurt. They were no longer bandaged, but faint scars remained – though Rune couldn't be bothered about something so unimportant.

"Besides," she continued. "..you'll be there with me, won't you Ciel?"

A glare from the young demon.

"You won't be cross-dressing, so don't worry," Rune added quickly, sensing the killer aura her butler was emitting. "According to the information I've got so far, victims include both female and males."

That didn't exactly make Ciel any more eager to participate as bait in the mission either.

"As for Sebastian.." Rune turned to her older butler and paused to think. "Wait.. can demons change their appearance or do something like shape shift?"

"..I take my current appearance in accordance to my master's wishes. But if my mistress wishes the same-"

"Wait!" Rune stopped him before he could continue, a horrible image of Sebastian taking the form of a female flashing in her mind. "Just a cat. Go on as a cat and sneak in whenever you can. Find clues or information and report back to me during the nights. Also," she inhaled. "Don't wait for my orders. If anything goes wrong, do what you have to do."

The demon blinked at the unusual order before finally nodding.

"Understood."

**xXx**

A pair of adolescents; a boy and a girl, pushed through crowds and crowds of people in the busy streets somewhere in town.

Ciel held his mistress's hand as they walked briskly pass people crowding at numerous stalls. Their clothes were torn and dirty. Their faces were stained with dust. Their feet bore no shoes.

A somewhat perfect disguise as runaway children.

Rune was spacing out as Ciel led her along a busy lane. Though she refuses to admit it, Rune couldn't help dreading the fact that she had to carry out the mission. Who in their right minds would enjoy going into a prostitute house offering themselves as one?

Not looking at where she was going, Rune accidentally bumped onto a passerby. The man stood firm in his ground but Rune wasn't as lucky – for she fell flat on her rear.

"Ow.." she groaned, snapping out of her daydream.

"Oh my.." the man bent down to help her up. "Are you alright, young lady?"

"..Yes.. I think.." Rune took his hand and supported herself to stand up. "I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't looking at where I was going."

"No, no. Its fine.." The man smiled. "_Just be more careful next time_."

And he left.

Rune stared after him. He had dark unruly raven hair and crimson eyes – just like those of Sebastian's. Thinking back, Rune thought they looked exactly alike – except for a tiny difference. The strange man's hair was longer. His eyes and smiles were cold and not even the slightest warmth could be detected from them. Even his touch wasn't the temperature of a normal human's – it was icy cold like a corpse's.

"..Young Mistress.."

Ciel's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"Huh?" Rune blinked, forgetting her reason to be there for a split second before it returned to her. "Oh, right."

Pushing her thoughts away, Rune resumed their walk to their destination. After several twists and turns, they entered an alley that was somewhat isolated from the crowd. Despite it being the day, it looked dark and abandoned, as if day never existed there.

With reluctance building up, the two headed towards the door of a hidden house at the very end. Ciel stood in front of the door and held out his hand. He paused just before his hand touched the wood, glancing at his mistress and waiting for her orders.

Taking a deep breath to muster her courage, Rune nodded. Ciel knocked.

A few seconds passed. No one came to answer. Rune was about to call her butler to leave when shuffling sounds came from behind the door. A loud click sounded and the door opened.

"Oh? What do we have here?"

The person standing there made Rune gulp. She had a mass of grey hair all tied into a messy bun, with stray strands dangling at the sides of her wrinkled face. She wore too much makeup. She was at least six feet tall and a metre in diameter.

"Um.. we ran away from home… and.." Rune swallowed, hoping the woman would believe in their act. "..we need a place to stay..'

A malicious smile crept unto the woman's face.

"Then it's your lucky day, my _dears_," she said, putting on a sweet voice that was obviously fake and promptly stepped aside. "Please, do come in."

Inhaling and deciding that it was too late to turn back, Rune stepped into the darkness together with Ciel.


	23. Chapter 22: Exchanging Pasts

The darkness outside was nothing compared to that of inside the brothel. Black curtains were draped over every available window, letting barely any sunlight in. Dim candles were the only sources of illumination.

Rune didn't exactly enjoy whatever she saw when she was led along the lightless hallways. Behind the translucent curtains that replaced doors in candlelit rooms were scenes that weren't meant to be seen – most of them involving a drunkard doing inappropriate things to helpless naked or semi-naked adolescents. Some adolescents struggled in vain against the grips that held them down. Some merely stayed still and accept whatever's that's inflicted upon them; as if it didn't matter anymore.

Rune and her younger butler were led to a dark tiny underground chamber just enough for two. The woman who let them in and later identified herself as Madame Mabelle, pushed the wooden door from its frame and shoved the two adolescents in.

"You." She pointed at Rune. "Take off your clothes."

Rune stared at her wide-eyed. "_What?_"

"Takes those rags off and show me just how much you're worth," she ordered. _So that was what she does to the other innocent teens that happen to come hoping to finally find a place to call home..._

Rune shot an uneasy glance at Ciel. _This wasn't as planned._

The demon exchanged the glance – telling her it's better to just go with the flow. He then proceeded to turn around, looking the other way.

Reluctantly, Rune reached to undo the buttons of her ragged shirt. She slipped the fabric off and held them in her hands, wearing only her undergarments. The girl stood awkwardly still as the woman inspected her from head to toe, trying to decide just how much she could sell Rune's body for.

Ciel did his best not to look. But unfortunately, curiosity got the better of him. Without thinking, he turned his body slightly, allowing him to take just a small glance.

Rune's back was turned, and that was the only thing he saw. For more than a year he'd been serving her as a butler under the Faustian contract and never had he seen her bare body – and he definitely didn't expect to see its current condition. All the way from her shoulders to her hip, Rune's once pale porcelain skin were covered with ugly burn marks and countless jagged lines made by whips; some recent, some old. No wonder Rune never allowed them to help her change. She was hiding the scars of her past.

"..Hmm…" Mabelle rubbed her chin as she stood back to take a good glance of Rune's figure. ".. Considerably broken. Probably won't worth much.." she mumbled.

Rune could feel herself blush uncontrollably when unfamiliar hands roamed all over her, touching places where Rune had sworn never to let anyone lay a finger on until she was married. Finally after several agonizing minutes, she was allowed to put her clothes on again.

"Now.. its your turn boy.." the woman turned to Ciel and sneered. Ciel wasn't keen on getting nude either, but he did it anyway. Before Rune could look away, he took his own tattered shirt off, revealing his bare torso. His smooth pale skin hung firmly to his thin frame beautifully because of his youth. Immortality did its job well, for no one unwanted wrinkle was found. As for the mark of slavery that was branded on his back, Ciel took the liberty of using his powers to conceal it.

"Wonderful.." Mabelle purred as she studied Ciel's body close up. "But I'm curious. The two of you came together, yet only one of you are so badly broken. You_ are_ siblings, are you not?"

Rune didn't answer her. She was playing the role of the weaker one.

"..I have got no blood relations whatsoever to her," Ciel replied as he redid the buttons of his clothes. "I am merely a friend who helped her escape from being abused by her family by running away with her."

The owner of the brothel narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't seem like a logic story, but nevermind. I'll make good use of the two of you soon enough." She stepped back and before the adolescents could react, the door slammed shut and the key was turned.

"..So…" Rune muttered to break the silence that began to form after darkness engulfed them. "..We'll have to wait here until night comes before we can hear anything from Sebastian.."

Thanks to the fact that her eyes had adjusted themselves to the gloom of their confinement, she was able to see Ciel (who was sitting beside her) nod quietly.

"Ne.. Ciel.. I'm not trying to be annoying or anything, but.." she paused, reconsidering whether or not to ask the question. The demon raised a questioning eyebrow.

"..But.." Rune hesitated. "..Had Sebastian.. ever told you about his past?"

"No." Ciel's tone hinted that he was curious to know as well. "I'd never asked, and he'd never bothered to tell me."

"Oh…." The mistress thought about the person she bumped into before they arrived at the brothel. Was it a coincidence that he looks so much like Sebastian? Despite thinking that, Rune couldn't help getting a feeling that it was far from a coincidence.

Before silence was once again formed between them, Rune tried to continue the conversation;

"..What about you, Ciel? Since we've got time in our hands, would you… by any chance.. tell me about yours?"

The glare she got from her butler almost made her wish she could cut off her tongue. But to her surprise, Ciel's expression softened and he sighed.

"..If that's what my mistress wants.." He leaned against the wall and stared off in space, immersing himself in memories he could never forget.

"I was born on the 14th day of December in the year of 1875. My resemblance to my parents – teal hair like those of my father and eyes like those of my mother – made it clear of my bloodline. I had everything a child would ever want; toys, sweets, a peaceful home.. and most of all: loving parents. Despite being a busy man, my father would join me in my games whenever he can. My mother suffers from asthma so she couldn't do the same. But I've never felt disappointed. She might not be able to run or jump around, but ever so often she would hold me in her arms and sing me to sleep, cherishing me with the love a child so desperately needs." Ciel's expression turned so melancholic, Rune felt her heart ache.

"To avoid letting me feel loneliness, my aunt, Angelina Durless or better known as Madam Red, came over frequently to take my mother's place in games. And not long after I turned seven, I met Elizabeth. I was the happiest boy in the world – for I finally had a playmate my age.." the adolescent paused. Rune soon came to realize why; they were getting to the worst part of Ciel's past.

"..I turned ten several years later. On the very same date of my birth, all the happiness and joy I ever had in my life were taken from me. My parents were murdered. My home was destroyed in an inferno that seemed to come from the very depths of hell. I was kidnapped that very day, and was forced into slavery. I was sold several times, and countless times had I lost my pride." There was so much bitterness in his voice, his mistress reached out to hold his hand without actually knowing what she was doing.

"Various forms of abuse were inflicted upon me – mentally, physically and sexually. Everyday I'd plead to God, begging him to free me from the torture that I thought I should never have deserved. But not once had he answered my puny prayers.

"There came a time when I was sold to a cult to use as a human sacrifice. One by one they killed those who had the same fate. But when it was my turn to be placed on the altar, my fear turned to rage and hatred. I hated those who murdered my family and started it all. I hated those who humiliated me. And most of all, I hated God for letting it all happen.

"And that moment, I had somehow managed to accidentally summon a particular demon." Ciel averted his gaze towards his mistress. "I assume you already who it was?"

Rune nodded. How could she not know the demon that was eternally bound to him?

"Sebastian killed every one of the cult members and saved me from that cursed place," Ciel resumed. "He'd even taken the liberty to care for me and take the trouble of saving me whenever something wrong happens. But taking care of me was in our contract. He'd protect me and keep me alive until the one who took everything from me was dead, and I'd give him my soul in return.

"Years later after I've inherited the title of the Queen's Guard Dog from my father, I was given a mission to solve a case very similar to that of 'Jack the Ripper'. Sebastian and I pursued every suspect there was. But I never thought.." he paused and laughed bitterly at the irony. "..I never thought that the culprit would be my very own aunt.."

Rune held his hand tighter as she kept on listening. Ciel continued to talk about his past, saying a lot more than he usually does on daily basis. He told his mistress about how he found out that the one behind it all was actually an 'angel'. He told her how his contract was fulfilled, and how Sebastian had failed to eat devour his soul for the first time.

"According to Sebastian, my soul was stolen right before he could consume it. By the time he tracked it down and got it back, I couldn't remember anything about the incidents that happened a few years after the contract was formed. I couldn't remember Madam Red's death. I couldn't remember meeting the shinigami. And I couldn't recall the fact that my contract was already fulfilled.

"For a period of time, my soul was sought by another demon with the name of Claude Faustus. He was under a contract with the Queen's Spider; Alois Trancy. Faustus went against the conditions of his contract and killed Trancy, just so he could obtain the soul which he claims 'a rare gourmet, pure yet shrouded with darkness and hate'.

"One day while Sebastian was occupied in battle, I was suddenly arrested by the police who thought I was Trancy. I denied it like hell, but they were too well convinced. I was taken to a mental hospital and was given severe treatment I didn't need. In that weak state of mind, Faustus had successfully mixed my memories with those of Trancy's, making me think I was him, and he was me.

"When Trancy found out that his butler would even go to the extent of battling all out with another demon just for another soul, he was devastated – betrayed by the person whom he thought cared for him most. He was determined not to let any of them have my soul. Using my body – which was under his control at that moment – he formed a contract with another demon; his maid. He was willing to give up his soul in return of having me made a demon." Ciel paused to catch his breath. "..And that was how I became this."

Rune let that sink in. So much had happened to him.. yet…

"..You know, Ciel.. our pasts are alike, yet there's a big difference," she said as she recalled her own history. "My parents were murdered, just like yours, but my home wasn't burnt. That faithful day, my sister had taken me to have a stroll in town just for the heck of it. When we returned home, the first thing that greeted us was the scent of blood. Getting a really bad feeling, we rushed inside, only to find the broken forms of both our parents in a pool of blood. Before we could even recover from the shock, we were grabbed from behind. Strong hands kept us from struggling free before they drugged us and took us away, separating us from each other.

"The next time I woke up, I was surrounded by many children about the same age in an underground dungeon. They all wore rags and their faces and hair were dirty with dust. It took me awhile to realize I wasn't in a better condition…" Rune giggled at the reminiscence. "Not long after I got the idea on what happened, armored guards busted in and ordered us to get to work. Too scared to rebel, I let myself be enslaved.

"For years and years I've worked in that hell. Time was painful. Many of my friends died along the way – from exhaustion, starvation, sickness. We were beaten, whipped, or even scalded with boiling water every time a mistake was made. Until once.. we decided that we would get our freedom; whatever it takes.

"Countless times we've attempted to escape by sneaking out and trying run away. But we were always caught, and punishments were always severe…" Rune winced at the memory, as if just thinking about it made her old wounds hurt.

"..When I lost _him_, I was plunged into the very pits of despair. I lost the will to fight and to live on. But grief eventually faded into wrath. And that was when I met you and Sebastian." She turned to her younger butler and smiled softly. "And I dare say: that was one of the moments I treasure most in my life."

Even in the darkness, Rune could see color creeping onto Ciel's face – which was weird since demons weren't supposed to have blood circulation. Then again, Ciel was once a human.

Realizing what she said, Rune too, turned to the color of beetroot. Seeing each other's reactions, the adolescents couldn't help but burst into giggles.

"..Ciel?" Rune stopped at once, staring disbelievingly at her butler who was laughing softly along. "You're… smiling?"

She didn't get an answer, for a familiar voice mused aloud out of nowhere, nearly scaring the living daylights out of her.

"My.. this is a surprise.." Sebastian came out from the darkness, smirking in mock astonishment. "..The Young Master is actually experiencing happiness after such a long time.."

Hearing that, the almost permanent scowl immediately returned to plaster Ciel's face, making Rune almost sigh in disappointment of losing her maybe once in a lifetime chance.

"Is it night already?" the mistress asked, pushing her feelings aside.

Sebastian's expression turned serious. "..No. But there's something important which I must inform you before it's too late."

* * *

**Hellooooo? *knocks the screen* Still awake? O-o **

**If you were, then thank you for not falling asleep from boredom in this chapter. I'm sorry if this chapter's a little bland QAQ**

**My next update MIGHT take a little longer cuz exams are coming and things are gonna get busy D:**

**Excuse my mistakes~ Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **


	24. Chapter 23: Burn

"..They _what_?" Rune asked after listening to Sebastian's explanation.

"From what I heard when I was sneaking around," the demon patiently repeated. "That brothel owner forces the adolescents she takes in into prostitution, to taint their virgin blood before draining it all to bathe in it."

"You mean.. like the myth of the Blood Countess?" Rune tried to recall the story. "But the Countess used _pure_ virgin blood, didn't she?"

"Indeed." Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "I've come across her during for a short period of time when I was roaming around in the human world, somewhere near a village in Vienna. I heard many rumors going around, about their daughters going into the castle after being offered the job of maidservants, and never coming back. Apparently, the Countess believed that bathing in virgin blood was able to retain youth and beauty."

"And so.. Mabelle is doing something similar.." Rune let that sink in. "Which means…"

She couldn't finish her sentence. A scream of a girl echoed just outside their confinement, followed by angry mutterings of a man.

"Let go of me! I don't want to!" the girl screamed.

"Shut up brat!" the man snapped. "The faster you go, the faster we can get this over with!"

More screaming and sounds of struggling before silence finally fell upon the girl, followed by the thumping of heavy footsteps of a frustrated man.

"Already?" Rune half whispered, half shouted in disbelief after hearing the commotion outside. "We've got to do something!"

"..It's too late." Ciel muttered.

Rune's opened her mouth to argue, but caught herself at the last moment. As much as she hated to admit, Ciel was right. By now, the girl would already be under the grasp of a drunkard, and nothing could be done about it.

But then… Rune couldn't bear to let yet another victim be claimed in her mission. Not again.

"..Ciel, Sebastian.." she said, determination building in her voice. "Get us out of here."

"Milady?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow in question.

"Just do it," Rune said more firmly. "I can't let the same thing happen in every mission I partake in."

There was a pause before Sebastian nodded obediently. "..Understood."

With a swift yet effortless kick, he knocked the door open. Rune squinted as she stepped out from her confinement, for even dim lit candles were bright compared to the darkness of the chamber she and Ciel were locked in for God knows how long.

Rune gazed down the hallways that spread either sides of her. Countless wooden doors alike the one Sebastian had just broke were aligned along the hallways, most of them locked. Rune frowned. So many innocent adolescents fall victim to this nonsense.

"..Which way..?" she asked, her voice tight.

Ciel noticed his mistress clenching her fists hard to keep her anger under control. Focusing his demonic senses, he tried to track down the presence of the girl that was taken; as well as the brothel owner herself.

"Two turns to the left.. the girl is renewing her struggles against the man who took her.. and they're nearing a room – most probably with the 'customer' already waiting," he mumbled. "And the last turn straight ahead on our right.. is _that_ woman."

Rune headed to the direction of the girl. Unfortunately, she arrived just in time to see the man shove the adolescent into the room Ciel mentioned.

"Oi you!" he shouted in surprise as soon as he noticed Rune standing across the hallway. "How did you-"

His sentence was cut short by Sebastian, who knocked him unconscious. Without saying a word, Rune marched right into the room.

The adolescent girl was screaming and struggling in vain to escape from the grip of the thin drunken man who was pinning her down on a worn out sofa, trying to remove her faded tattered dress.

Rune stepped forward, grabbed hold of the man's shoulder and gave a mighty pull. Considering the drunkard didn't own much weight in the first place, he easily stumbled to the floor, still in his dazed half-dreaming state.

The terrified girl blinked at Rune's presence. "..Who…"

Rune didn't answer. Taking a sheet of blanket laying nearby, she wrapped it around the girl's shoulders and led her outside where the demons were waiting.

"..Take her and free the rest who are still trapped," she ordered Ciel. "Bring them outside safely."

Ciel nodded before asking. "What about you?"

Rune turned the opposite way. "I'm going to settle this once and for all." She faced her older butler. "Sebastian.. take me to where _she_ is."

**xXx**

Rune had a gun aimed towards the brothel mistress's head.

Rune was never good with the gun to begin with, and she seldom carries one around unless absolutely necessary. And for this mission, she was putting it to use. Neither talent nor skill is needed to put a bullet into someone's head at point-blank range.

"..You.." Mabelle hissed. "Who the hell are you?"

"..I'm just a measly cat…" Rune answered tonelessly as she glared at her with eyes colder than ice. "A _black cat_."

"Impossible!" the woman screamed. "They told me the Whitefields were dead! They killed every single one of them!"

Rune narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on her weapon.

"Who were the people who told you that?"

"You should be dead!" Mabelle shrieked almost hysterically, as if not believing the existence of the adolescent. "Rotting in hell! Every one of you wretched Whitefields!"

Rune worked to keep her patience. She knew her parents was despised by people especially those who commit crimes due to their connection to the Queen. And she also knew many rejoiced over their death.

"..Answer me," she said, gritting her teeth. "Who killed my family?"

"Dead! _Dead_! DEAD!"

Rune pulled the trigger.

Discarding the gun by hurling it right next to the corpse of the woman, Rune headed to the hallway where Sebastian stood waiting.

"..Let's get out of here."

**xXx**

Ciel did as ordered and freed every captured victim from their imprisonment before commanding them to follow him outside.

Despite being surrounded by frightened and confused looking teens that seemed almost panicked, the young demon waited dutifully for his mistress to leave the dark building that looked almost haunted under the twilight of sunset. Fortunately, he needn't wait long. Before he could get a chance to heave a sigh, Rune stepped out of the doors of the brothel along with Sebastian.

"..What are you going to do now?" Ciel asked when Rune stood next to him.

The girl turned to regard the place where so many adolescents had sinned against their will, disgust once again building up in her emotions.

"..Burn it." She replied, her expression unreadable. "Down to the very last grain of sand."

"…Are you sure about this, Young Mistress?"

Rune nodded. "Her Highness's orders were to solve this case. Mabelle is dead. The ones who were in line for victims are saved. This building will only…"

Ciel could almost guess what she was going to say. Knowing her, Rune was worried that the proof of the prostitution house's existence would bring back traumatic memories for the rescued teens.

Saying nothing more, he exchanged looks with Sebastian and neared the building. Both removed their respective gloves and held out their bare hands. As soon as their fingertips touched the walls, flames erupted on the spot and spread all around it in a millisecond.

Having the job done, they rejoined their mistress amidst the crowd of adolescents. Rune took a look around her before sighing.

"..I guess.. we have to find them a home."

**xXx**

A peculiar crowd stood at the front door of an orphanage, led by a young adolescent girl and a pair of butlers.

Rune pressed the doorbell and waited nervously. Never had she thought that she'd have to return to that place – not so soon anyway.

Seconds passed and the door opened. A jolly-looking plump nun peeked out and gasped at what she saw – a whole group of teens gathered at the entrance.

"..I'd like to put them under your care, ma'am." Rune said formally. "They ran away from home and need a place to stay."

"Oh.. um…sure!" the nun beamed and turned to call out. "Ethan! Kas! Would the both of you come here for a moment?"

Almost immediately, a blonde boy and a dark girl appeared next to her, breathless.

"You called, Sister Bern?" the girl, Kas asked. She then caught sight of the crowd outside and her mouth hung open. "Whoa."

"Ah.. would you two care to show these children around? They'll be staying here from now on."

"Alrighty!" Kas headed outside, followed closely by her male companion, Ethan.

Rune stood back and stared at the orphanage, feeling vaguely nostalgic. Sebastian was right. No one remembered them. Laura was gone. Kas was the head of the girls. Things could be worst.

"..Hi there!"

Rune snapped out of her thoughts to see the dark girl standing before her. "Uh.. hi.."

"You're gonna stay here too?"

Rune chuckled. "..No. Actually, I'm the one who _brought _them here."

"Wow…" Kas gave her an impressed look. "What's your name?"

"Rune." The mistress smiled. "I'm Rune Whitefield."

"Kasandra." She returned the smile. "Now that I think of it.. you look kinda familiar.. have we met before somewhere?"

Before Rune could answer, Ethan yelled impatiently from the indoors. "Hey Kas! Are you coming in or not?"

"Just a minute!" Kas shouted back. "Anyway, its nice meeting you, Rune!" Again, she smiled before turning around. "See ya around!"

And she was off.

Rune didn't stop looking back at the building until it was out of sight on the journey home. Apparently, she missed the place more than she thought she would.

"..Is something the matter, milady?" Sebastian asked after seeing his mistress sigh for the fifth time along the way.

Rune shook her head before smiling softly. "..No… it's nothing…"

Just another day, just another mission completed.

* * *

**Boring end? yeah.. kinda... ^^' Got the overall idea from one of the manga chapters (sorry for the copyright!)**

**Just to tell you guys, my exams have started and this will be the last chapter for the next few days.. D: I'm sorry! **

**This chapter's kinda uh... weird (?) whatever. I'll shut up now. **

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Excuse my stupid mistakes. **


	25. Chapter 24: Celebration Night

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the really really late update! *dodges a flying plate***

**I'm REALLY sorry! I know I promised to write as soon as I finished my exams (which is last FRIDAY) but I got distracted with other things and ended up procrastinating ^^"" *dodges a flying tomato* This chapter isn't even that interesting... SORRY AGAIN!**

**Enough of my ranting. Excuse my mistakes~ Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

Mornings at Whitefield mansion were usually peaceful… or at least what it usually seems like.

This cold and pure season of winter fell upon England in the month of December. It was just another chilly day when it all happened…. And it started with Rune waking up feeling fully enthusiastic – which, was highly unusual for her considering the fact that she normally refuses to wake up until her butlers finally threaten to yank her blanket – the only source of her coziness – away from her.

Rune had been looking forward to this day for at least the past few weeks now; ever since Ciel told her about his past. Without wasting any time, she pulled on some warm clothes and headed to the kitchen.

The house was peacefully quiet that morning, for Rune had woken up a _little_ earlier. The servants were still in their slumber. Ciel was still in his chamber; asleep or not, Rune had no idea. Silently, the adolescent crept towards the kitchen. The faint sound of clanking of utensils greeted her as she neared. The only person Rune knew who could possibly be awake at that hour was..

"..Sebastian.."

The demon had his back turned and was busy preparing some cat food in a small dish when Rune opened the door to the kitchen – probably intending to feed the stray cats that occasionally wandered into the mansion compounds.

"..Oh..? You're up early today, Young Mistress.." he retorted a little teasingly without looking away from what he was doing.

"..Morning, Sebastian…" Rune said, ignoring her butler's remark. "Listen.. could you do me a favour?"

"Hmm?" this time, Sebastian turned. "What is it?"

With building excitement, Rune told him her plans.

"…Are you certain about this, milday?" Sebastian asked after hearing what his mistress had to say. "I'm not sure if the Young Master will…"

"..Even so… we should do something for him once in a while, shouldn't we?" the girl said. "Besides… it is his special day despite everything that happened…"

Sebastian regarded doubtfully at Rune before finally sighing. It was no use arguing with her; Rune was just too persistent for her own good.

"..Alright." he finally agreed. "I'll start immediately after I feed the cats."

**xXx**

Ciel woke up much later than usual.

He sat up from his sleeping position and took a glance at the clock at his bedside. Thirty minutes passed eight. Ciel blankly blinked and rubbed his eyes before taking another at the clock, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Realizing it was all real, he jumped out of bed, mildly furious and confused at the same time for he was not woken by Sebastian, which was a rare case. Hurriedly, he changed out of his night clothes, half worried that something bad had happened.

Ciel was tying his shoelaces like crazy when Sebastian opened the door. An entertained smile immediately crept unto his face as soon as he saw his master's reaction to his lateness.

"..Oi Sebastian…" Ciel started, gradually losing his temper. "What-"

"The Young Mistress ordered me to run an important errand earlier," the demon butler cut in, hardly able to restrain himself from chuckling audibly. "And she decided to let you rest just a little longer."

Ciel eyed him suspiciously. Sebastian would never lie – that, he knew. But even so… the story he gave didn't not seem very logic.

"..So that's it.." he finally decided before heaving a sigh and muttering almost to himself. "The Young Mistress is up to one of her ridiculous schemes again.."

Ciel had no idea.

Meanwhile, Rune had been explaining her intentions to the other servants; on why they should by no means let Ciel into the kitchen and why so.

"Not even if he orders you to tell." she said firmly. "Ciel must not know about this until tonight, understand?"

"Yes, my lady!" Maylene, Finny and Bard chirped in unison before rushing off to their assigned duties. Rune smiled. Despite their silly antics, they could be really likable at times.

"Now then.." Rune mumbled to herself. "I'll have to wait for Sebastian."

**xXx**

"..Eggs?"

"Check."

"Flour?"

"Check."

"Butter?"

"Check."

"..Alright then.." Sebastian finished tying the strings of his apron and began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "Let's start."

"Yeah!" Rune answered energetically. She had a huge white robe draped over her normal clothes and a scarf tied to her head to keep her hair away from her face. Seeing everything was reading, she too, started rolling up her sleeves.

Following Sebastian's lead, Rune started baking the recipe she had in mind. But then.. she still ended up almost destroying the kitchen. Flour tainted the air. Egg shells were littered everywhere. Dirty utensils were scattered all over the counters. Rune failed attempts after attempts, but she still refused to give up.

'_Even if I have to bring this place down with me.._" she silently swore to herself. "_I won't give up…_"

In the middle of Rune's fifth try, the door opened suddenly and Maylene popped her head in, expression full of panic.

"I-It's.. Young Master.. he….!"she spoke so fast that Rune could hardly catch up with what she was saying.

"It's the Young Master!" Maylene breathed. "He asked where you were and I told him you were in your study, doing the paperwork. Now he's..!"

Rune bit back a curse. She'd predicted that something like this would happen, and had pondered day and night for a solution. But when she finally did, she wasn't fully sure if it will work.

Tearing off her cooking wear, she turned to her older butler.

"Sebastian!"

The demon need not be told what to do. Already back in his normal attire, he nodded and proceeded to pick her up from the ground, carrying her as if she was a child. Rune had no choice – that was the only way to beat Ciel to her study.

"I'll be right back!" she called over her shoulder when Sebastian started making his way towards the door. Then, Sebastian took off.

Sebastian was going at speeds so fast Rune could hardly believe he was merely running. Everything seemed blurred. Sebastian used shortcuts; dangerously climbing out of windows and leaping to the panes of the ones of other rooms, just to get to his mistress's study faster.

Finally after several almost reckless moves, they reached their destination. Rune held her breath when she climbed in. Empty. She heaved a sigh of relief. Not wasting her chance, Rune quickly settled down on her chair and started reading a random piece of document she picked from one of the stacks on her table.

Not a moment too soon. As if on cue, a knock sounded on the mahogany doors and Ciel came in, looking emotionless as ever.

Peering up from the paper, Rune smiled brightly and greeted him like nothing was wrong (Though, she did get a look of suspicion from him…)

This routine continued throughout the day for Rune; kitchen, office, kitchen, library, kitchen, lawn, kitchen. Ciel even once caught Rune with a bit of flour in her russet hair, but if he suspected anything, he kept quiet. Besides, Rune's excuses were possibilities despite sounding like plain crap.

It took her fifteen failed attempts, but Rune managed to be successful in the end. The shape of it was a little off, but it was presentable enough.

"Phew!" Rune exhaled, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a stain of flour on it. "I finally did it.."

Even Sebastian had to sigh with relief. Never had he took so much time to teach one how to bake – except maybe with Bard. Nevertheless, it was amusing enough; having his mistress panic and run around just to avoid the exposing of her plan.

"Well… it's about time you had your bath, Young Mistress.." he mumbled, checking his pocketwatch.

"Huh?" Rune was stretching her stiff back when he said it. "Oh. Sure. A bath will be good…" Despite her sudden surge of energy in the morning, baking all afternoon and running around did sap a lot of her strength. "Ne Sebastian… would you mind cleaning this place while I'm gone?" she asked, stopping at the exit and looking around. "This place's… _a mess_."

Sebastian did not even hesitate for an answer.

"Yes, my lady."

**xXx**

Ciel spent the whole day expecting the worst.

Why? For almost the entire day he'd notice his mistress being sweaty and breathless as if she'd run a marathon or something. Even Sebastian refused to tell him what's going on – he denied everything he asked.

"_…Whatever.._" he thought to himself. "_Let them have their way_."

He was walking along the hallways thinking about what he chore he should do next when he bumped into his mistress.

"Ah, Ciel!" Rune beamed. She smelled nice and fresh, for she'd just finished her bath. Ciel suppressed a blush when he realized that he actually thought she smelled nice and fresh.

"Ne, ne… could you come with me to the dining chamber for a second?" Rune asked, oblivious to her younger butler's situation. Ciel nodded (heck, he couldn't refuse anyway).

Together, the two adolescents headed there; Rune smiling to herself all the way, and Ciel thinking maybe he was just being paranoid about the whole thing. There was probably no way they would be planning something behind his back. But then, this _was_ Rune Whitefield after all…..

Rune opened the huge doors and stepped aside, gesturing the young demon to enter first. Ciel raised an eyebrow, but decided to take the chance.

There was actually nothing special with the place. Nothing was decorated. The silverwares were arranged like they should be. Everything seemed normal.. until Sebastian appeared out of nowhere and offered him a seat – which, immediately made him think otherwise. Sebastian's extra smug-like smirk did not make things better either.

The strangeness of it all increased when Rune suddenly – along with the other servants – came shouting a wish the Ciel absolutely did not expect to hear.

"Happy birthday Ciel!"

"-Birthday Young Master!"

The adolescent sat there, dumbfounded by the fact that his birthday, the exact same date he had lost everything in the past, was being celebrated.

"W-What?" he almost stammered. "What the hell is-"'

His stopped abruptly when Rune (who disappeared into the kitchen after wishing him) walked out with a standard sized cake in her arms.

Now, one would just call it a lump of brown colored _thing_ just by seeing the looks of it, but Ciel realized that it was the thing his mistress had been preoccupied with for the whole afternoon. No wonder he could feel her presence going back and forth from the kitchen when he was done checking on her…

"Eheh.. Sorry this isn't.. the most perfect looking cake out there.." Rune blurted out, flashing a silly smile while rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. "But anyway.. Happy birthday Ciel~"

Ciel stared at the poor excuse for a long while before letting out a snort.

"What the hell is that _supposed_ to be? You call this a _cake_? I've seen a man with three fingers in each hand do better."

With every word he said, a metaphorical arrow pierced through Rune.

"But.." he continued, his tone and expression softening into a slight smile. "..since my mistress took all the trouble to make it, I suppose it won't taste as bad as it looks.."

The smile that had faded from Rune's face slowly crept back. Without being told, Sebastian proceeded to cut out a piece cake and placed it on a plate before presenting it to his master. Rune held her breath when Ciel scooped a small piece into his mouth.

Truthfully speaking, it really didn't taste that bad. Ciel could hardly taste most of it, but he knew it was chocolate. The texture was a little dry, but nevertheless acceptable for a beginner and a person who utterly sucked at cooking like Rune.

The night passed with lots of lively cheers and laughing. When it was all over, Rune excused herself to her study while everyone was cleaning up, claiming that she wanted to finish off some unsigned documents.

"…We'll take care of the dishes, my lord.." Sebastian spoke up when he saw his master rolling up his sleeves. "It's _your_ birthday after all."

"Don't mock me, Sebastian.." Ciel hissed. "I'm only did all that because the Young Mistress went through all the trouble to organize it."

The older demon smiled, but said nothing. He knew that was just an excuse. His little master did enjoy that evening of celebration – he was just too proud to admit it.

Ciel marched out of the kitchen and headed to the hallways, with no particular place in mind to head to. He was surprised to find himself standing before the doors of Rune's study several moments later.

He stood there in silence, wondering whether or not to enter. Finally with an inward sigh, he placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted after rapping the wood a few times.

Rune was seated behind her desk. She held a document in one hand and her chin was rested on her other. And.. her eyes were closed. Ciel heaved yet another sigh. Of course Rune was tired. She had been up and around since early in the morning.

Very gently, he pried the sheet of paper from his mistress's hand and set it down among one of the many stacks of documents. Then with ease, he lifted from her chair into his arms and dutifully carried her back to her bedroom, careful not to wake her. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you see it, Rune slept like a log.

Ciel placed his mistress on the bed she was ever so used to and tucked her under the warms covers (he didn't bother helping her change. Rune would freak out if she woke up halfway). Rune stirred slightly, but still remained asleep.

"..sorry.. it looks so gross…" she mumbled suddenly when Ciel was just about to turn around and leave.

That particular statement brought an amused, but fond smile on Ciel's face. Without thinking, he turned back and leaned down, placing a light kiss on Rune's cheek.

"Thank you for what you did.." he whispered softly before once again standing upright and turning to leave. "I hope you have pleasant dreams, my lady.."

**xXx**

Sebastian did his usual job of putting his master in bed that night.

Strangely, he felt.. disturbed. Not by the fact that Ciel was particularly in an extra good mood (though he was barely showing it), but by the fact that he felt another presence in the house. It was very faint, and he could not exactly make out its owner. The presence was malicious, that he knew. But other than that…

Ciel must've felt it as well, for he too, wore a similar expression as Sebastian's. Despite his senses being keener compared to that of his butler's he could only tell that it belonged to something evil. Something _demonic_.

Sebastian was reluctant to leave his master's side, for there were chances of that presence attacking him. But Ciel told him to guard Rune instead. He could handle things on his own. As much as he didn't want to, Sebastian had no choice but to obey.

As soon as the door closed behind him, a voice sounded out of nowhere, nearly making Ciel jump with surprise.

"So we meet again, Ciel Phantomhive.."

Ciel turned towards the source of the voice that sounded so much like Sebastian's, yet it was different in some way. Standing there next to the window nearest to his bed, was a man dressed completely in black. Under the moonlight, he could clearly make out the man's features; long-ish unruly raven hair, pale complexion, broad shoulders, and most striking of all, his bright crimson eyes with slit pupils.

He was an _exact_ copy of Sebastian if it wasn't of his longer hair length. And Ciel had seen him before.

"..You were the person the Young Mistress bumped into the other day.." he said matter-of-factly.

"I'm honoured that you actually remembered.." The man smiled. "I've been waiting for this moment for some time now.."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. With an impossible speed, the man appeared right next to him. Before Ciel could react, his chin was lifted and he was forced to look into his crimson eyes.

"I've got something in mind for you, my dear little demon.."

Ciel could feel his consciousness fading. He tried to resist it, but all in vain. His vision was blurring. His eyelids felt heavy.

And everything went dark.


	26. Chapter 25: Take me with you

***dodges another torch thrown by GaarasMyBoyzz* hey guys! First of all before I say anything else, **

**I"M SO SORRY FOR THIS INSANELY CHEESY CHAPTER!**

**I won't be online for nine days starting two days from now, that's why I rushed to write this chapter. /whisper/ /whisper/**

**anyway, sorry for Sebby's oocness here (hey, he _does_ tend to get moody when Ciel is in trouble right? O_o)**

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

* * *

Sebastian was the first person to realize that Ciel was missing.

The demon had been resuming his duties that morning after a night of following his master's orders. He headed to Ciel's room at the usual time, intending to wake him up to get him ready to start the day.

Rapping softly a few times on the doors, Sebastian twisted the knob and let himself in. The bed was creased, proving it had been used. But the person who was supposed to be buried under the covers was nowhere to be found.

The thought of the presence the night before immediately struck Sebastian. His master was taken. Traces of a demonic presence still lingered in the air. It was then when Sebastian realized who that presence belonged to. Without a doubt – it was _that person._

Sebastian cursed under his breath. How could he be so careless? He should've known better. He should've disobeyed his master, just that once.

Inhaling and exhaling several times to get himself together, Sebastian proceeded to search the whole place – for clues just in case his assumption was wrong. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed a small piece of paper lying atop the covers of Ciel's bed. The demon scooped it up and read it. Written in fancy writing and ink suspiciously like the color of blood, were a mere five words.

"I've got your precious master."

A slight frown spread across Sebastian's usually either emotionless or smirking face. His fear was confirmed.

Folding it into a tiny piece, he stuffed it into his coat pocket and headed outside. He pondered with every step he took, wondering whether or not he should tell his mistress about his master, the soft clip-clop of his leather shoes echoing in the silent hallways. Telling Rune might just make things more complicated that it already is.

Finally after giving it much consideration, he decided not to. Not yet. Even if he had to rescue his master without her knowledge and permission.

**xXx**

Rune wasn't as ignorant as Sebastian thought she would be. Apparently, Rune was very aware of anyone she considers as family and Sebastian's act couldn't fool her.

Sebastian had followed the usual routine as if nothing was wrong. He got breakfast ready, and headed to wake Rune, pushing a silver cart with him.

After much effort as always, he managed to wake her.

"...The menu today are butter scones and Earl Gray tea.." he announced as Rune let out an enormous yawn.

The mistress nodded while rubbing her eyes in attempt to cease the sleepiness.

"Damn.. I'm still sleepy.." she mumbled.

"..Did you not get enough sleep last night, Young Mistress?" Sebastian asked smoothly.

"..I did.." Rune broke into another yawn. "It's just… I woke up a little too early yesterday.."

"…"

"..Is something wrong Sebastian?" the mistress asked in between bites of her breakfast, concern clearly showing in her eyes. "You look a little…" -Rune never thought she would use the word- "..distracted."

Sebastian blinked. Was his face showing it badly? He had no time to decide.

"I appreciate your concern, milady. But I'm fine." He said, putting on his usual smile before she could ask more.

Rune glared at him, her eyebrows furrowed slightly in suspicion. "..You sure?"

"I've never felt better."

Reluctantly, she let herself trust her butler and proceeded to finish the breakfast prepared for her.

"..Go on first. I'll join you in my study after I get changed. " Rune said, wiping her mouth with a napkin when she finished. "..And tell Ciel to come help too."

The mention of his master's name almost made Sebastian falter. But he regained composure and bowed before heading for the door. "I understand."

Rune couldn't stop thinking about Sebastian's unusual behavior that morning. As far as she knew, Sebastian wasn't the kind to be easily distracted. Something must be wrong. And she just couldn't figure it out.

She finished changing out of her nightclothes and headed to her study to start her work. Rune trotted along the hallways, still thinking. For some reason, her contract sign itched uncomfortably that morning; as if something had happened to either of her butlers.

'_..Impossible.._' she thought. 'Those two can take care of themselves…"

Reaching her destination, Rune pushed open the mahogany doors, expecting to see the demons waiting inside. But only Sebastian stood there. Ciel was nowhere to be found.

Though that wasn't something to be worked up about, but a bad feeling immediately hit Rune. Sebastian was acting strange. Ciel was missing. The itch on her right palm…

Could it be that…

"..Sebastian.." Rune said, silently praying with all her might to the God that she had long forsaken to prove her wrong. This couldn't be happening. "..Where's Ciel?"

Silence from the demon. Not a good sign.

"Sebastian.." she repeated, her voice quavering slightly. "Where's your master?"

"...He's taken..." Sebastian said in such an impossibly soft tone that Rune almost couldn't hear it. But when she did, she wished she couldn't.

"_...What?_" Rune stared at him wide-eyed, almost not believing her ears. Sebastian could've been lying - but Rune knew. Sebastian never lies.

"..How on earth did that happen?"

There was a moment of silence before Sebastian decided to answer again. "..I was careless. The Young Master sensed the presence, myself too. But I was given the orders to protect you. I was a fool. I should have known that he was the one that was wanted."

"..What?" Rune had trouble letting all that sink in. _What the hell?_

"..Now if you'll excuse me, milady.." Sebastian said as he made his way to the door, determination and anger flashing in his eyes. "I've got duties to attend to."

Rune immediately caught the double meaning behind that statement and stopped him. "..Take me with you."she said, grabbing his wrist.

Sebastian peered back, his expression tinged with mild annoyance. "..And what can _you_ do?" he asked in a tone so cold, Rune cringed at the sound of it.

"We are dealing with demons here. And don't forget; as much as you deny it, you are still a mere human."

"..But.. what if you fail?" _What if you both fail to come back? What if you both die? What if..?_

"It won't matter." Sebastian answered, his tone not changing. "Even if my attempt to rescue the Young Master turns out unsuccessful, you will be unharmed. I am fairly positive that the only people he wants are me and my master."

"..You don't get it, don't you..?" Rune whispered, wondering how could Sebastian of all people be so blunt. "Have you already forgotten the terms of out contract? Didn't you both agree to stay by my side until I obtain my revenge? Didn't you?"

Sebastian turned fully around and raised an eyebrow at his mistress's words. She's worrying about the bleeding contract at this time?

"..Have you ever thought.." Rune casted her gaze on the floor, afraid she might go over-emotional and break down any second. "Have you ever thought of my feelings if I lose the both of you just like that..?"

Upon hearing those words, the demon sighed inwardly. _Goodness she was persistent_. Gently, he pried her fingers away from his wrist and stood back. Rune looked up and found Sebastian kneeling on one knee, his right hand raised over his left chest.

"Forgive my insolence, milady," he said. "If it is your wish, then it is my duty to fulfill it. I shall take you with me in this task. I swear upon this soul of mine to protect you from danger at all costs, even if I have to risk my life."

Rune blinked. "..Se..bastian?"

Sebastian said nothing more. Gratefulness slowly showed in Rune's stunned expression before she finally managed to blurt out;

"..Thank you. And I'm sorry for causing all the trouble. Its just.."

She couldn't continue. Rune realized she would just sound like a spoiled brat using excuses to get something she wants. Sebastian proceeded to stand upright, a slight smile of fondness plastering his face. He really couldn't believe this girl...

"Come to think of it.." Rune mumbled, thinking back. "You described the person's behavior as if you know him. Are you by any chance.. acquainted to Ciel's kidnapper or something?"

Sebastian nodded gravely.

"Unfortunately, yes. The person who took the Young Master is none other than the archangel who led the rebellion against God, who was casted out of heaven and widely known as the Devil." A frown swept across his face. "The one who took the Young Master was Lucifer.." he paused, as if trying to find the right words. "_...my other self_."


	27. Chapter 26: Labyrinth of Seven Sins

A newly born messenger of God opened his eyes. He winced as alien brightness reached his darkness accustomed orbs. Blinking hard, he glanced around, attempting to see clearly. Numerous smiling faces of fellow angels greeted him, for they felt excited for the birth of their new sibling.

An angel with neatly styled auburn hair and eyes of the same color walked out of the crowd and neared him. He emitted a slightly grander aura compared to the rest, indicating he was of higher rank. Gently, he placed his hand atop the newborn's shoulder.

"Come my brother," he said, fondness hinting in his voice. "Let us meet our father. I am Michael."

Reverently, the younger angel followed his 'brother' towards a room of blinding light. Bright and blinding as it is, however, it did not hurt to cast one's gaze onto it.

A figure sat on a high throne at the very back of the chamber, tended by countless angels. He immediately broke into a broad smile when he saw the archangel Michael walk in with the newly born angel.

Kneeling down as a sign of respect, Michael spoke. "I brought him as you asked, Great Lord and Father."

"Thank you, Michael." God said, his powerful voice echoing throughout the enormous room despite the fact that he wasn't shouting. He turned to the younger angel and motioned him to approach. "Come closer, my son."

The raven-haired angel obeyed and knelt down, following his elder sibling's example. The Creator rose from his throne and proceeded to descend the grand flight of stairs that led to the cloud-like grounds below where two of his children knelt. He stood before his younger son, speaking firmly;

"Stand up."

The angel did just that.

"A beautiful being; hair as dark as the night. Eyes the color of morning twilight. Born on the brink of sunrise." God paused in thought for a second before smiling warmly. "You shall be the Morning Star, bearer of light. You, my son, shall henceforth bear the name Lucifer."

_**~several millennia later~**_

"Michael!"

The archangel Michael turned towards the source of the familiar voice, his neutral expression softening by the sight of his younger sibling.

"Yes Lucifer?" he asked, arching his eyebrows. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong," Lucifer grinned playfully. "It's just.. I meet Beelze just now and found out that-"

"You spoke to them again?" Michael almost shouted from shock. "How many times do you want to repeat this foolishness until you're satisfied? They're evil, Lucifer. You're still young; you do not understand why we angels avoid contacting them, and they know that. They're trying to corrupt your mind, twisting you way of thinking like they do with the humans currently residing on Earth. Our Father is neither blind nor deaf and I know He forgave you the last time you were caught, but that doesn't mean you can do it again!"

Lucifer blinked blankly at his brother's words, slowly interpreting them and trying to find the proper reaction. Apparently he did and he let out an indignant huff.

"I shall do as I like,_ Brother_," he said coldly. "Why do you even care? Every one of you hides the world from me. You've only told me the good things our Father did. They told me everything; how Father took the lives of innocent humans. How he let misfortune befall them. How he turned a blind eye on their pleads. How-"

His sentence was ended with the right palm of the elder archangel landing square on his left cheek.

"Don't you dare talk of Him like that Lucifer!" Michael scolded, anger and pain sweeping across his usually calm or happy face. "Never."

Lucifer stared at him in disbelief, a hand cupping his stinging cheek. Angels were forbidden from hurting each other in any ways unless really necessary. And in this case, he really did not think he did anything wrong at all.

"Michael-" he started but stopped when the archangel turned away.

"Get away from my sight.." he said almost inaudibly. "Don't let me see you until you think about what you just said and apologize."

Confusion settled upon Lucifer's handsome yet beautiful features before turning into fury.

"Why the hell are all of you so naïve? You just don't understand do you? Every one of you thinks He is so great and mighty just because he is God. Well I'll show you. I'll prove to you all that there's an existence far greater than God himself!" And he stormed off.

Michael did not even turn back. He bit his lower lip as silvery droplets of tears overflowed from his eyes. "What happened to you Lucifer?" he whispered under his breath. "What have they done to you?"

**xXx**

Thunder and lightning roared in the great heavens, reciprocating with the clangs of clashing weapons as a war between those who side and oppose God raged on.

Those who oppose were losing, being casted out of heaven one by one by the mighty Creator, their once pure white wings slowly tainted with black before finally breaking off, making flying something impossible for them to carry out. Some kept on fighting, only to meet the same end.

One lone being was left after his entire army of comrades fell. A tip of a spear was pointed at his throat, its owner towering above his crumpled figure. Eerie silence fell around them. The battle had ended.

"Repent, Lucifer.." Michael's voice was cold, its usual warmth forgotten. "And I will not have to hurt you."

Anger flashed in the other archangel's eyes as he gritted his teeth and hissed; _"Never._"

"Lucifer.." Michael's grip on the shaft of his spear tightened with every word that came out of his mouth. "..Please."

"Never, Michael! I won't ever repent for what I've done! I do not regret a thing!" Lucifer snapped.

"..Luci-"

"That is enough."

Michael immediately stopped his pleads at the sound of the voice that just spoke. Lucifer's eyes widened when he realized who the voice belonged to.

God stood between his two children; his expression strict, yet a tinge of hurt shadowed his face. He rested both his hands on Michael's spear, gently lowering it.

"Enough of this foolishness." He said, turning to Michael before regarding his other son. "If this is what he chose, then so be it.."

"But Father-"

"You have greatly disappointed me, Lucifer.." God went on, ignoring the archangel. "I had high hopes on you. I cherished you. I.. raised you. And yet.." His voice broke as he wiped the uncontrolled tears that slowly began to make their way down His pale cheeks. "… you let your pride be your downfall."

Lucifer could only glare at Him, his body losing the ability to move.

"It pains me to make this decision, but I have no choice." The Supreme Being said. "From this day onward, you are banned from the heavens. You shall eternally dwell in hell, the source of all evil.." His voice lowered into a whisper. "..And the home of those who contaminated your mind."

With just a wave of his hand, the rebelling archangel wailed in agony. Similar to his subordinates, darkness slowly tainted his wings, but they did not tear off as he fell – God couldn't bear to do it.

The black-winged angel fell through the grounds of Paradise, then pass the clouds, then into the human world. How long he stayed plunging through the air, he did not know. But all he could remember before his vision turned black was the sound of the sobs of his Father and brother, and the gleeful laughter of those in hell.

**~end of flashback~**

"Beelzebub was the ruler of hell during those times, but eventually, I surpassed him and took over instead…" Rune listened with her mouth agape as she listened to her butler's past. Everything was just a little too… unexpected.

"I reigned over the Underworld for thousands of years… until boredom and curiosity got the better of me." Sebastian continued, his expression surprisingly neutral. "Back at those times, it was considered humiliating for higher class demons to consume a soul of a human. Why eat the souls of puny humans when you can eat other demons instead? But I reconsidered. Yes, humans are all too easily manipulated. Even so, some were especially interesting. They would never give up trying even when given countless obstacles.

"Just for the fun of it, I abandoned my Pride and ascended to the human world in the form of a crow. That Pride formed the current Lucifer. He took my place as the ruler and took the joy of banishing me from my own home. And so from then on, I wandered aimlessly everywhere and anywhere; sometimes in hell, sometimes in this world where I currently reside."

Rune quietly let it all sink in.

"…Is something the matter, Young Mistress?" the demon asked when he noticed his contractor's queer expression.

"Huh?" Rune blinked. "Oh it's nothing!" She stood up and flashed a confident smile. "Anyway, we better get going. Time is running out."

**xXx**

"Are you sure you want to do this, milady? There's still time to turn back.." Sebastian inquired as he and his mistress stood before a swirling portal of pure darkness. A portal to hell.

"..Yes." Rune answered, trying her best to stop her voice from shaking. "I won't say I'm not scared or anything, but for Ciel's sake.. I'll swallow my fears."

Silence from the demon. His initial plan was to go alone. But with Rune around, things might get complicated. She might get in the way.

But even if he tried to protest, Rune would still insist on following.

Sebastian suppressed a sigh. His mistress was right. There's no turning back now.

"Before we go in, I have a request to make, Young Mistress.." Sebastian spoke suddenly after a moment of silence. Rune raised an eyebrow.

"All the way, I want you to close your eyes. Do not – by any means – open them until I say so."

Rune wisely nodded obediently despite the strange request. It was hell they were going into after all.

"..Very well then.." Sebastian then proceeded to carry his mistress bridal-style in his arms. "If you would please, Young Mistress."

Rune tightly scrunched her eyes close. "Let's go."

And together, they entered the gateways to hell.

**xXx**

The first thing that greeted Rune when they arrived at the Underworld was the immense heat, and the agonized cries of countless tortured souls.

Rune shivered, both at the extreme temperature and at the terrifying shrieks of the tormented. Her grip on the fabric of her butler's coat tightened as they travelled deeper into the pits of hell. Though curious to find out how the place actually looks like, Rune kept her eyes closed. She wasn't exactly too keen to watch torture inflicted on those who had sinned anyway.

On the way, Rune heard various gruesome sounds; including the growls and maniacal laughter of demons, clanking of chains, the sounds of blades plunged into bodies..and many more that she preferred not to list out. Determined not to scare herself more that she already had, Rune focused on the echoes of Sebastian's shoes on the ground instead.

Finally after what seemed to be forever, Sebastian stopped.

"..You can open your eyes now, milady." He said, putting her down.

Reluctantly, Rune parted her eyelids. A gasp escaped her lips as soon as she registered what she saw. Before her was a ridiculously huge metal gateway, the tip of every bar deadly pointed. Rune looked around. The skies – or at least she thinks is the sky – were blood red and cloudless. Skeletal trees surrounded the area. Cries of tortured souls rang in the distance. Rune glanced down at her feet. The ground too, was reddish in color – as if it was dyed with blood – and cracks appeared everywhere.

"I see you've both made it.."

Rune turned towards the source of the voice, which turned out to be coming from a tower far beyond the gates. Rune squinted at the figure who stood behind the highest window. Somehow.. he looked vaguely familiar…

"Wait.. aren't you the person I bumped into the other day?" the adolescent asked dumbly, realizing the resemblance. "And why the heck can I hear your voice all the way from here?"

Lucifer narrowed his eyes slightly at Rune's ignorance. "Are you so dense, human, that you still do not realize who I am?"

Rune shrugged, trying to look indifferent when deep inside she wanted to just crawl into a hole and hide. "You're Lucifer. So what?" she said, attempting for a brave front.

"My, brave aren't we?" Lucifer sneered.

"Return Ciel to me."

The demon blinked at her words before started laughing as if it was a joke. "Please, do you really think I would just let you have him back?" He spread his arms in front of him, and the ground began to shake. Walls erupted from the vast grounds beyond the metal gates, forming a maze like structure.

"It will take more than having the Crow on your side to help you reunite with Ciel Phantomhive, my dear Rune." Lucifer smirked, his eye glowing malevolently. "Welcome, to the Labyrinth of Seven Sins.

* * *

**Hey there everyone! I'm back and rolling~! **

**Anyway, I'm so sorry for the late update guys! went on a holiday, wasted a week in China. No comment.**

**Err... confused? sorry for making it so! *bows like an idiot* Pm me and I'll gladly explain. (and yeah... i KINDA got the idea from watching FMA ^^')**

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine! Thanks for being patient with me!**


	28. Chapter 27: Greed

**GAWD I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! D:**

**I just went back to school after a 2 week holiday and immediately i was bombarded with projects so I had little time for this! (not to mention I was struggling for ideas)**

**Err.. also, I apologize for the cheesiness of this chapter... QAQ (especially the password. now that was totally RANDOM)**

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

**From now on, I'm gonna need a longer time to update! I'm sorry again!**

* * *

Rune tailed behind Sebastian as they made their way into the Labyrinth.

She was doing this because she was afraid, for one thing. Afraid about what might happen. Afraid of hell. No mortal with rational minds would feel safe in hell, anyway.

Sebastian continued moving forward, completely unafraid traps or anything like that. Rune glanced around. The Labyrinth seemed endless, as if it keeps reforming and reforming with every step they took, making a complicated maze increasingly complicated.

All Rune saw around herself were walls, grass hedges, and more walls. Now that she thought about it, it almost seemed like they've been repeatedly walking in circles…

How much time had passed since they descended into the Underworld, Rune had no idea. Mortal time differs with the time down there – or so Rune heard from Sebastian. To her, it seemed like forever since they entered the gates and started the 'game'.

"..We're almost there now…" Sebastian spoke up after a long while of silence.

Rune raised an eyebrow.

"..The domain of Greed.." he continued, his tone ice cold with hidden annoyance and slight anger. "The place where Mammon awaits."

"..What..?"

Sebastian needn't answer, because he stopped dead in his tracks and glared ahead. Rune peeked from behind him, and immediately, her eyes widened.

That particular area, unlike the other parts of the Labyrinth Rune had seen, was made purely out of gold. Blinking, she looked further ahead. There was a person sitting amidst a mountain of gold, surrounded and fanned by several breathtakingly beautiful girls. If anything could've surprised Rune more than the sudden change in surroundings, it was Mammon's appearance.

The first thing Rune noticed about him was his pair of mismatched eyes – one golden yellow, the other dark purple – that contrasted with his pale complexion. Spiky dark blue locks framed his adolescent-like face. He was dressed in robes that hung loosely onto his what-seemed-to-be thin frame, which, made him really standing out from his surroundings.

The demon prince averted his gaze towards Rune, and his lips slowly curved upwards into a smile.

"So you've finally found me.." he said smugly. "I've been anticipating you. I am Mammon, demon of Greed, one of the Seven Princes of Hell."

Rune could only stare at him. Because… he looked not much older than herself.

"..And it's been awhile, Crow.." Mammon turned to Sebastian whom, was calmly expressionless.

"I do not use that name often now, Mammon.." the demon butler said. "In accordance to my master's and mistress's wishes, I am Sebastian Michealis."

Mammon chuckled as if that statement was a joke. "And you still have the decency to mention them as your superiors in front of your former subordinates?"

"I've thrown away my Pride a long time ago," Sebastian replied coolly. "Who do you think is the Lucifer you know today?"

The other demon smirked in amusement. "I consider that you have a good taste. So tell me _Sebastian_, are the souls of humans really more delicious than those of a demon?"

There was a temporary pause before Sebastian answered. "Humans are interesting creatures. Compared to demons, yes, their souls are more enjoyable with the combination of flavors they often have. Not to mention the fact that they are far easier to obtain, considering the weaklings they are."

"..Hmm.. that's it huh?" In a split second, Mammon had disappeared from his seat and reappeared before Rune, a hand lifting her chin, his face inches from hers.

"..Then I suppose this soul will taste simply delightful, yes?"

Recovering from her surprise, Rune promptly slapped his hand off.

"Don't touch me."

Mammon retracted his hand and whistled. "An attitude, have we?"

Rune glared at him. "Enough of this. We have to find Ciel."

The demon's smile faded upon hearing it.

"About that – Lucifer had given us orders on not to let the two of you pass. But I'll cut you a deal, since you've caught my interest.."

The smug-like smirk returned to his expression as he spread his arms behind him. Where all the gold was before was now a huge cave, its entrance sealed with a ridiculously enormous rock.

"Enter this cave," Mammon said. "Go through it, and fight me on the other end. If you win, I will not bother to stop you two from going pass this point. If you lose, though.." he licked his lips. "..Then your soul, Rune Whitefield, will be mine to keep."

He then snapped his fingers and vanished.

**xXx**

"..So.." Rune stood before the towering entrance of the cave, pondering on how they could solve their current problem. "How on earth are we supposed to open this?"

Sebastian had tried, but even with his strength, the rock did not budge. That was how they found out that strength was the not the missing piece of the puzzle.

The whole thing seemed somehow familiar to Rune. She was sure she read about something similar somewhere, but she just couldn't exactly remember.

"…I got it!" she exclaimed after thinking over and over. Sebastian gave her a quizzical look.

"Ne, Sebastian.. have you heard of the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves?" Rune asked, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.

Sebastian thought for a moment. "… If I'm not mistaken.. I did come across that story during my wanders around the Arabic area.."

"Don't you think this is almost similar to that story?" the mistress went on. "We can't unseal the entrance even with your strength. We need a password…" she cocked her head aside and tapped her temple with a finger. "Now.. what was that word again?"

"..Open sesame."

Rune considered it and immediately shook her head. "I can bet my life that that's impossible. Besides, I'm sure he won't make it that easy. Anyway… was there any word or phrase that Mammon particularly likes to use?"

Her butler frowned. "…I apologize milady, but it's been a long while since I left. Mammon's tastes are always changing."

Rune heaved an exasperated sigh. "Then we've got no choice."

And so, Rune ended up trying to use the word 'open' in ten different languages (with Sebastian's help, of course). And not even one worked.

"…Damnit.." Rune punched the wall of the rock in frustration. "… this just isn't working…"

Then it hit her. Mammon was the demon of greed. Greed…

Rune stepped back and inhaled before shouting at the top of her voice. "I want everything."

There was an awkward silence. Then out of the sudden, rumbling sounds could be heard from within the cave and just like that, the rock disappeared.

Rune wasn't exactly expecting to see the cave full of gold and treasure or anything like that so it did not really shock her to see pure darkness beyond. She was just about to step in when Sebastian spoke up.

"Wait."

Rune glanced back at him.

"This cave.." he muttered. "If I'm not mistaken, it disables your five senses when you're inside, capable of driving you insane if your determination isn't enough. Even until now, the only few demons who managed to pass it are the Seven Princes…"

The adolescent stared at him, gulping. "And.. are you by any chance.. one of them?"

Sebastian nodded and Rune heaved a sigh of relief."..That's good.."

Sebastian gave her a strange, confused look, wondering why she would feel relieved even in that situation.

"Even if I do not make it through.." Rune explained, smiling wistfully. "At least there's still someone else who can save Ciel…"

He stared at her somemore.

"..But.." the mistress added. "I don't plan on failing this. I refuse to lose my sanity in there either."

Sebastian blinked at her words, remembering that his contractor wasn't as weak as she appeared.

"..Shall we go then?" he asked, his expression melting into a small smile.

Rune stared into the darkness ahead. "Yeah. Let's go."


	29. Chapter 28: Greed II

_I can't see anything._

_I can't hear anything._

_I can't feel anything. _

_I can't smell anything. _

_And I definitely can't taste anything._

The first sense that abandoned Rune when she entered the cave was her sight. Usually, normal human eyes adapt to dark surroundings eventually and a person would be able to at least vaguely see in the dark. But Rune's case was different. Though she kept her eyes opened, she could not see a thing.

Slowly, the sound of her own footsteps faded. Then the smell of mustiness of the cave. And at last, she couldn't even feel the ground below her.

_..Am I going the right way? Am I walking in circles? Am I falling or anything?_

Questions of doubt haunted Rune's mind as she made her way further into the cave without her five senses.

_Am I… alive..?_

_I'm scared. I'm so scared…_

_But I can't give up. _

A new voice countered the doubtful one in her mind.

_I can't give up yet. I have to keep walking. Move forward. _

Rune scrunched her eyes close and willed her legs to move, despite not being able to feel them. She walked and walked, until she reopened her eyes and saw light ahead.

Rune bolted towards it.

As if gravity regained control, she stumbled on solid ground – which, felt strangely unfamiliar after going through the cave. Rune looked up ahead when she heard the sounds of clapping. Sebastian had arrived before her, and he was glaring straight at Mammon.

"..Well done Rune.." the demon prince purred. "I never thought I would see you completely sane again after that challenge.."

Rune stood back up, ignoring his remark.

"..Sebastian." she said, her voice still shaking a little from her journey through the cave.

Sebastian turned back a little to regard her.

"..This is an order.." the adolescent took a deep breath and exhaled. "Defeat Mammon."

Carrying out the familiar process of kneeling on one knee and bowing with his right hand over his left chest, the demon answered;

"Yes, my lady."

xXx

Rune felt completely useless as she watched the battle between Sebastian and Mammon rage on from a distance.

Human weapons of any sorts did not work in hell, so Sebastian had to use his bare hands against his opponent. He leaped skywards when a fissure appeared from his where he was standing on by the wave of Mammon's hand. Sebastian lunged at him, making a futile attempt to injure Mammon in any way.

"What's wrong Sebastian? Are you so out of practice that you can't even defeat me when I'm holding back?" Mammon taunted as he blocked his attacks effortlessly. Sebastian stayed quiet.

From what she saw, Rune assumed that Mammon had the ability to control minerals; rocks, earth, jewels, gold… almost everything that surrounded them.

It was worst than she thought.

Mammon could make use of everything there. Sebastian was utterly weaponless.

Rune tried to convince herself. Sebastian had never failed to carry out his orders, no matter how challenging or impossible they are. But still.. the duel seemed one-sided…

The adolescent's thoughts were interrupted when the ground below her shook. Without a warning, a hole opened below her and she fell.

Rune, being too stunned to even react, let herself fall. Fortunately for her, Sebastian was not going to lose his second contractor. Immediately he came to Rune's rescue, pulling her out of the bottomless pit just before it closed up.

Even Sebastian knew he was going to lose at this rate. And he could only think of one way in order to win. A method he didn't think I would use again so soon.

"..I apologize milady, but once again, I need you to close your eyes…" he said, gently putting his mistress down on the ground.

Rune blinked, unable to comprehend for a moment. "..huh?"

"..My true form.." Sebastian went on . "I cannot allow you to see it. I cannot risk traumatizing you."

Rune stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "..Alright." she decided and did as he asked. "But try not to take too long."

Sebastian nodded without saying a word as he stood back up, turning to resume his battle.

"Finished your little discussion, Crow?" Mammon asked with mock curiosity.

"Hmph.. it's not very honorable of you to attack my mistress when this is a fight between demons.." Sebastian retorted, ignoring his remark completely.

"Hah! You know I never play fair."

"Oh? Is that so?" Sebastian's eyes glowed as he made his way closer towards his opponent, smirking menacingly. "Then I suppose it is up to me as your former superior to teach you…"

"I'd like to see you try."

As much effort as she put into it, Rune couldn't suppress her curiosity. She could perfectly hear the sounds of the battle, but it was something else that she wanted know.

Sebastian's true form.

"Is his true form really that horrible?" Rune wondered. "He _was_ Lucifer in the past…"

Only one way to find out.

Very slowly, she parted her eyelids a little, just enough to glimpse at her surroundings.

The very first thing she saw were black feathers. Like a crow's.

Rune tried to peek further ahead. It was hard, since her eyes were almost completely shut. But somehow, she still managed to make out two figures engaged in an intense duel, one in robes who was being beaten to a pulp, and another dressed in black leather pants and a severely tattered top, his feet donning a pair of shoes with ridiculously pointed heels.

The adolescent almost let out a gasp, awed not by what her butler was wearing, but by the pair of wings that sprouted from his back, black as midnight. A beautiful pair of wings that once belonged to an archangel.

Rune closed her eyes once more when the sounds of a gruesome battle resuming reached her ears. That was one thing she did not plan to see.

When the sounds finally stopped, Rune dared herself to open her eyes. Lying unconscious on the ground was Mammon, bruised and bleeding from his battle with Sebastian. Sebastian, on the other hand, was back to his usual appearance and was brushing some dust from his sleeves. Though it didn't sound like the usage of flames were involved, burnt patches tainted the ground where they dueled.

"Hey Sebastian… is it..over?" Rune asked dumbly.

"Yes." Sebastian answered. "It's over."

The mistress heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally."

"..Shall we move on?"

Rune nodded and got on her legs. "We should. We've wasted enough time here. There's still a whole labyrinth to go."

And they continued their venture into the mysterious and dangerous maze.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the late update, for the cheesiness, and for the shortness of this chapter!**

**I'm REALLY running out of ideas here so I practically chucked in the first things that came into my mind... but I tried my best to make it acceptable.. I hope.. (had to skip a fight scene in desperation Q3Q)**

**Sorry again! Please bear with me for now! **

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Excuse my epic mistakes. **


	30. Chapter 29: Sloth

**Phew... an update at last.. (wait.. shouldn't it be you guys saying this? O-o meh. whatever)**

**another short and utterly disappointing chapter? er... guess so. But things are gonna get better after this! Promise! I'm gonna kill my brain for ideas if its the last thing I do! **

**aherm. Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

* * *

Rune wasn't sure when it happened, but somehow, they'd ended up walking in a forest halfway through the maze.

Why was there a forest in the middle of the Labyrinth, she did not and did not want to know. But it was definitely one considering the amount of trees that surrounded them. Even so, there were no greenery. Unlike plants of the human world, their leaves were silvery white.

After a while of wandering aimlessly, the two reached a clearing. Rune stopped dead in her tracks and stared ahead. "What in…"

Blocking their path back to the entrance of the maze was a sea of leaves, and for a split second, Rune almost thought winter had fallen in hell.

"..Are we supposed to wade into that to cross or something?" the adolescent wondered aloud dumbly.

"….no." Sebastian's tone serious, annoyed even. "Those leaves are razor sharp. Wading in there would be suicide." And to prove his point, he picked one fallen leaf up from the ground and made a tiny cut on his finger with ease.

"…okay.." Rune gulped as she watched the cut close up by itself. "Is there any other way we can use to cross?"

Just then, she heard something she absolutely did not expect to hear, not in the middle of a life or death situation anyway. Rune heard the steady breathing and soft snores of a person sleeping soundly.

She looked around, confused because she did not remember seeing anyone else when they were walking. But there he sat, a boy about nineteen years of age dozing peacefully on a chair carved out of stone just by the borders between safe ground and the sea of leaves. His face was impossibly childish and innocent, framed by silvery white hair not unlike the color of the tree leaves. He wore a white long-sleeved button up shirt with a pair of brown trousers.

"..Belphegor." Sebastian grumbled.

"Huh?"

"One of the Seven Princes of Hell – Sloth. He himself isn't much of a challenge as long as we do not wake him. The only obstacle now are those.." he glared ahead.

"Can't we go over them or something?" Rune asked wistfully.

"If that's the case then it would be easy." Sebastian said. "No. Anything within their range would be sliced into pieces, be it hovering above them or even under them for they have lives of their own. The only way to cross is by finding and using the other route."

The adolescent raised an eyebrow. "What other route?"

Sebastian nodded northwest. Rune squinted to see what he meant. At the very far edge of the pile of killer leaves, was a rocky path leading to the other side.

"To be honest, that doesn't really look-"

She was cut off when Sebastian spoke. "You're wrong. The forest manipulates you. You could go on and on, but you'll still end up back here."

"_Oh joy_.." Rune sighed. "So how the heck are we supposed to cross?"

"It depends on luck. If you're fortunate, we might just be able to find the way. If not.."

"We'll end up here again and again until we accidentally wake Belphegor." The girl bit back a curse. "So we've got no choice."

Sebastian nodded. Rune turned towards the forest and frowned. "Then I suppose.. we should get going."

**xXx**

Sebastian was getting increasingly pissed off by the minute.

Having to find the way to cross was bothersome enough, but the inhabitants of the place only made things worst. Every tree was alive… with faces and mouths that could _talk_.

He had no trouble ignoring them, but his mistress wasn't as lucky. The plants were hell-beings designed to taunt one into utter insanity, and that was what they were going to do her.

_"Hey hey.."_ one whispered. "_Go that way. Its faster."_

_"No turn this way.._" said another.

_"Did you know Lord Belphegor drools in his sleep?"'_

_"So does the human here. Right Rune?"_

_"Yeah. And you refuse to wake up almost everyday huh?"_

_"That's sloth you know. But nevermind, you're indirectly providing power to our master,, which will make this whole thing a whole lot harder to solve."_

_"You're a sinner, whether you like it or not."_

Rune clamped her hands over her ears in attempt to block out the voices. "_Shut up.._"

"You lost a person precious to you in the past right?" one asked smugly.

"And not you're going to lose another."

"And you'll finally lose them all…"

Rune shut her ears tighter. She wasn't going to let mere _plants_ mess with her thoughts. She had to concentrate.

Fortunately for her though, Rune was the type that could adept to her surroundings quickly. And she could be very ignorant when she wants to. In no time, the whispers and taunts of the trees were like the wind to her – not silent, but not annoying either.

The two kept walking for a long time, not once successful in finding the right way. Rune almost screamed in frustration when they ended up at where they started for the sixth time.

"At this rate, we really will wake him and get ourselves in deep shit.." she grumbled, obviously not caring a bit about her manners.

"Please milady.." Sebastian nagged all the same. "Watch your language."

"I don't care about my language! I just want to cross this damn thing and get this over with!" Rune accidentally raised her voice slightly. Belphegor turned in his sleep and she flinched, realizing her mistake. "..Sorry.." Rune said, her tone lowering.

"Nonetheless, we can't risk waking _him_ up…" Sebastian pointed at the slumbering demon with distaste.

"Now that I think of it.. you've been warning me not to wake him at any cost. But what exactly does Belphegor do if we actually did wake him?" Rune inquired.

Sebastian looked at her, his expression neutral. "How would _you_ feel if someone wakes you up from the sleep you were enjoying?"

"Uh.." the adolescent shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Angry and really irritated, I guess.."

"Now imagine those feelings multiplied by a hundred times. What would probably happen?"

"A berserk streak?" Rune guessed. Sebastian nodded.

"Belphegor has the worst temper among the Seven Princes. He'll chase down anyone who wakes him and he'll never give up until he has them in his grip." He said. "And those who are caught usually meet the same end…"

Rune shuddered at the thought. Just then, to their horror, the demon prince stirred in his sleep and let out a huge yawn. He rubbed his eyes childishly, his mouth forming a small pout. He opened his eyes and revealed a pair of pale gray orbs. Rune found it hard to believe that such an innocent looking demon could have a temper at all.

But of course, things proved her otherwise. As soon as the outsiders were seen, Belphegor changed. His expression was no longer cute and innocent. His eyes turned into those that resemble a maniacal killer.

Without second thoughts, Rune sprinted into the forest, Sebastian following closely behind her. Just like Sebastian had said; Belphegor would chase down anyone who wakes him or anyone who he thinks woke him. Rune tore through the forest, madly dodging and avoiding trees and other things that were in the way. She had no idea where she was going. The only thought in her mind was to keep running and stay alive.

Belphegor tailed behind them, growling like a hungry wild animal, slowly reducing the distance between them. Rune pushed her legs to their limit, willing them to run faster. The trees around her whispered among each other excitedly. For a long terrifying moment, Rune thought they were going to end up back at the starting point again…

Until she saw it. The path they'd been seeking for so long. She bolted towards it.

Belphegor sensed that he was losing his prey and he too, built up speed. Rune ran into the long road stretching towards the entrance of the maze, her heart drumming so hard against her chest that it started to hurt. She was halfway through when she stepped on a rock and stumbled. Sebastian headed over and pulled her back on her feet.

And it was almost too late. The demon prince gained up on them and managed to grab hold of Rune's shirt, ripping off a part of the sleeve when she resumed running. Rune couldn't care less about it. She dashed forward as fast as her legs could take her. Even when they re-entered the maze, she and Sebastian didn't stop.

Finally, Rune couldn't run anymore. She looked back and realized with relief that they had lost Belphegor. Rune leaned against a grass hedge, trying to catch her breath.

"That was… _dangerous_.." she panted. Sebastian hadn't even broken a sweat. Rune took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Alright. I think I'm fine enough to go on now."

Sebastian regarded her. "Are you sure milady? You can still rest for a little while longer if you wish.."

Rune shook her head. "We've wasted enough time. We should not procrastinate any more." She stared at her torn sleeve and added, "There goes a perfectly good shirt.."

With that said, the two once again resumed their journey into the Labyrinth.


	31. Chapter 30: Lust and Envy

For a long while, the two odd pair did not come across anything unusual.

Sebastian – though he did not seem like it – was getting worried, for they were slowly but surely approaching stronger and more dangerous foes. He took a quick glance at his mistress as he walked. Rune was looking as though she was trying to put on a brave front, but she was shivering slightly; probably still shaken by the last experience.

A few more twists and turns, and Sebastian paused in his tracks. He could sense two powerful presences. Two Sins in one place.

"..Sebastian? What's wrong?" Rune asked when he stopped.

The demon lifted a finger to his lips as a warning. Then without making even the slightest sound, he walked ahead and spied from the edge of a wall. Rune followed behind him, curiosity overpowering rationality. As she neared, she could hear voices – voices that belonged to two females giggling and laughing along with the soft clanking to teacups being placed on their saucers.

Rune peered over Sebastian's back.

Two girls were in the middle of having their tea. Like the last two Princes the duo came across so far, they looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. One of them had brown shoulder-length hair and eyes of the same color. The other had sickly pale skin that almost looked green and sky blue eyes with slits as pupils. Both wore wearing simple brown dresses.

"Hmm? I see that you've found us.." the brunette said out of the sudden without even turning their way. Seeing that hiding was no longer a need, Sebastian stepped out. Rune followed suit.

"I'm impressed." The other girl said, casually sipping her tea. "I never thought a mere human and a former exile would be able to go pass Greed and Sloth."

The two stayed silent.

"Oh my, how _rude_ of us.." the brunette said with mock shame when she saw the demon butler's expression. "We should at least introduce ourselves to our guest first." She lowered her cup of tea. "I am Asmodeus, and this is Levianthan." The reptilian eyed demon regarded them. "We're the sins of Lust and Envy."

Under normal circumstances, Rune would've been terrified to meet two Deadly Sins at once. But after the previous experience with Mammon and Belphegor, bumping into a pair in the middle of a tea party isn't exactly what she would call _frightening_.

So once again, she ended up blurting the first thing that came into her mind – which, doesn't always bring her much good. "I thought.. the seven _Princes_ of Hell are all supposed to be males."

Of course, she regretted it as soon as she said it. Fortunately for her, the two demons only chuckled.

"Just because we're known as the Seven Princes doesn't mean all of us have to be male." Asmodeus said, clearly amused. "How sexist is that?"

"That aside, I can see that she speaks her mind," Levianthan observed. "Pity. I don't feel like killing her." She heaved a sigh. "But Lord Lucifer ordered us not to let them pass.."

"Actually.." Asmodeus said. "We _don't_ have to kill her. Lord Lucifer only asked us not to let them pass. He did not mention anything about wanting them dead or anything."

A smile crept onto Levianthan's face. "You're right. So.. a game?"

"A game." The other agreed.

Rune did not like the sound of the conversation at all. Her blood ran cold when both female demons turned her way, smiling ever so sinisterly.

"Rune Whitefield," Levianthan said, though the adolescent had not mentioned her name. "Care for a little game with us?"

"The conditions are easy." Asmodeus added. "Win and we'll grant you permission to go on peacefully without a fight. Lose.." her lips curved into an evil smirk. ".. and the two of you will stay here and serve us for eternity."

Rune was hesitant to answer. If she played this 'game' of theirs, there will be less bloodshed. But considering at how confidently Asmodeus had said to let them pass if she won, she could tell it wouldn't be easy.

Still..

Rune glanced at her butler, who was standing to her right. She realized that Sebastian had been doing most of the work until now. All she did was slow them down.

"..Alright." she answered before Sebastian could stop her.

No sooner after the word escaped her mouth, Rune collapsed. Sebastian caught her just in time before he hit the ground, losing his calm composure for a second. He turned her around and noticed that her eyes were glassy, as though she was in a trance-like state.

And the game began.

**xXx**

"..Young Mistress? Are you listening?"

Rune blinked. "H-Huh?"

_What happened?_

The adolescent was sitting in front of her desk in her study, signing documents. Two maids stood before her, one a brunette and the other a honey-blonde.

_Who.. are they?_

"Your schedule is quite packed today," the blonde said. " Forgive me for sounding rude, but I would suggest you to hurry up on that, milady."

_Oh. Right. They're Asmodeus and Levianthan. The two demons whom I formed a contract with. _

Rune looked down at her paperwork. She was holding the last one.

"Just a little more and I'm done.." she muttered, biting the cap of her pen as she scanned the piece of paper. Finally, she scribbled something on in and placed it atop a stack of other documents.

"Ah.. just in time," Asmodeus, the brunette smiled as she checked her pocketwatch.

"Eh? For what?" the russet-haired girl inquired curiously.

" So you really weren't listening.." the blonde maid, Levianthan sighed. "It's time for your visit to Phantomhive Manor."

xXx

Sebastian lowered his mistress's body gently onto the ground helped her lean against a wall. He stood back up and Levianthan spoke.

"Why don't you join us in our tea while you wait for your precious mistress?" she said before silently adding; "Although we can't really guarantee that she would ever come back."

If he heard it, he didn't react to it.

"As a butler, it is against my policy to dine with anyone of higher rank without the permission of my master or mistress," he merely said.

"So you're calling us higher rank? Why, thank you _Sebastian_.." Asmodeus mocked.

"And I never would've though," Sebastian went on. "That Asmodeus and Levianthan of all people would be working together as a team."

"You've been away for too long, Lucifer," the brunette demon replied darkly. "Things have changed. Our powers progress along with the changes in human emotions. In case you'd never noticed, Lust and Envy now often come together."

"Take three humans, for example," Levianthan said. "Two of them female and one of them male. Both females fall for the male. The male chooses only one. Envy rises in the other because she lusts for him. She wants him as her own. She _desires_ him. Lust forms envy, and envy forms lust*."

Sebastian glared at them without saying a word.

"To win our game.." Asmodeus finally said. "Rune Whitefield would have to overcome these feelings and escape from the alternate world in her mind."

**xXx**

Rune couldn't help feeling like she'd forgotten something important.

Part of her felt that everything was normal and going on as it should. But a voice at the back of her mind kept nagging her about something. Something she mustn't forget.

But _what_ was it?

She just couldn't remember.

Rune pondered about it non-stop as she stared outside the windows of the carriage she was riding to Phantomhive Manor. Her head was rested on one hand and her eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Is something bothering you, Young Mistress?" Levianthan inquired from the opposite seat. Asmodeus was driving.

The adolescent shook her head. "It's nothing."

But why can't she shake the feeling that something was very wrong?

* * *

*** Don't worry. Even I don't know what I was crapping about O_o**

**Another.. uh.. meaningless chapter? I know, I know.. I promised to make it as interesting as possible QAQ But please, do me a favor and take this more of an introduction than a real chapter or something.. **

**The next one MIGHT be a little short.. I don't know.. I've already got the ideas. Now it depends on how much my brain is capable of elaborating... **

**Now that I think of it.. my ability to write has really worsen.. FORGIVE MEHH! **

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Thank you for all the reviews~! **


	32. Chapter 31: Lust and Envy II

Rune stood at the entrance of Phantomhive Manor, her mind still deep in thought.

_Why am I here again?_

The strange part of everything was how she seemed to forget something, and that something always seem to just pop out in her mind as soon as she thought about – as if it was just inserted there that very minute.

And that was what happened then. Rune remembered that she was there to discuss some things with the head of Phantomhive.

Asmodeus reached out and rang the doorbell. A butler with crimson eyes and raven black hair answered. This time Rune knew who he was. Sebastian Michealis was the famous butler of the Phantomhive household, and he was a demon.

But right then, Rune could've sworn that their connection was different. She could've sworn they were closer somehow..

"Countess Whitefield," he greeted politely. "The master is expecting you."

Rune trailed behind Sebastian as he led her through the hallways, her own demon servants following close behind. The mansion was eerily quiet and peaceful, for the only servants there was a gardener, a maid, a cook, and of course, a butler. Finally after numerous twists and turns, they stopped before a room with closed doors.

Sebastian rapped on the expensive wood several times before pushing it open and stepping aside. Rune entered. Sitting behind a mahogany desk was a middle-aged man with dark blue-gray hair and warm eyes.

And he was the Phantomhive Company's current head; Vincent Phantomhive.

"Earl Phantomhive," Rune bowed slightly. "Thank you for having me here."

"It's my honor, Lady Rune." he smiled warmly before gesturing towards the chair place opposite him. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself at home."

Rune returned the smile and did as offered. Before she could say anything else, a knock sounded from the doors and a boy peeked in. He had the same dark hair as the earl and piercing blue eyes. He looked about the same age as Rune.

"You called me, father?" he asked, unmoving from where he stood.

"Yes Ciel. Please come in."

Ciel nodded and stepped in. For one reason or another, Rune found herself staring at the boy. He moved with so much poise and grace; with his chin lifted high and his feet never once dragging on the carpeted floor. And it wasn't the first time she saw him. Part of Rune knew she liked this boy.

"Since my son will be the only heir to my fortune," Vincent explained when he got the looks from Rune. "I will let him discuss this with you and learn to do things like these. I do hope you won't mind."

Rune shook her head. "No, it's perfectly fine with me. But I'm curious, why pick this time to let him learn?"

"Because I trust you." The man replied. "Your father and I were good friends in the past after all. I believe the daughter of Nicholas Whitefield has enough pride and honor not to trick an innocent boy who barely knows what's going on around him. And I know you would try your best to teach him what he needs to know."

Rune blinked at those words. She wasn't very good with these things herself, as far as she knows. In fact, she still had to depend on her maids to help her half of the time.

Fortunately for her, Ciel was a quick learner and easily understood what needed to be done. In no time the two adolescents were grimly discussing business. After much debating and arguments, they finally came to an agreement.

"I guess its settled then.." Rune mumbled as she shook hands with the boy. His hands were cold. Either that, or Rune's hand were just extra warm.

"Good job, both of you.." Vincent stood up and fished out his pocket watch. "It seems that it's almost time for our evening tea." He turned towards the russet-haired girl. "Seeing that you're already here, why not join us, Lady Rune?"

Rune shifted her weight from foot to foot, for she was reluctant to answer. "Um.. I don't think.."

"It'll be alright." The man winked. "I'm sure my wife will be more than happy to see you again."

That didn't really convince the adolescent, but she nodded and accepted the offer.

"Alright then. I'll tell Maylene to inform your maids about this. Ciel, take our guest to the backyard." With that said, the Earl excused himself from the room.

Rune followed the boy into the hallways and to the backyard in silence. A table was already set up there; with scones and tea served. Two ladies sat there sipping their tea. Sebastian was standing nearby in case his assistance was needed.

One of the ladies – a blonde girl also about Rune's age with curled twintails looked up as they approached. As soon as she caught sight of Ciel, she bounded towards them and gave him a crushing (or at least it seemed to be) hug. Surprised, Rune jumped aside.

"Ciel~~!" the blonde squealed. "You're finally here~"

Either Ciel was too stunned to react, or he just did not bother to answer.

Funny. Rune could've sworn she knew this peculiar girl. But she just couldn't recall who she was.

"Rune! It's been a while!" the other lady greeted, just loud enough for her to be heard from where she sat. "Come join us."

Lady Rachel Phantomhive was Earl Vincent Phantomhive's wife and mother to Ciel Phantomhive, Ever since she met Rune years ago, she'd taken a certain liking to her. And even if it sounded rude or improper, she had never addressed Rune with the word 'Lady'. Compared to most nobles, Rachel Phantomhive was less formal and serious.

Or at least that was what Rune could remember.

The blonde girl who had been attempting to suffocate Ciel a moment ago released the boy when she heard the unfamiliar name.

"Oh my.." she blushed slightly from embarrassment. "I apologize for the inappropriate display of behavior just now. I didn't realize you were there."

Rune didn't know whether she should be angry or sad because she wasn't noticed.

"It's fine," she decided and smiled.

"I'm Elizabeth Middleford, by the way," the young lady chirped. "Ciel's cousin and fiancé."

_Fiancé._

Rune cringed at the word. Ciel was already betrothed. It was impossible for her to express her feelings inside towards him now.

Disappointed she may be, but Rune did not let it show. She sat with everyone and smiled the entire time, telling jokes and talking a little about herself, as well getting to know everyone better. Rachel told the young ladies about when Ciel was a little boy; how he would cry over little things and such. Ciel looked like as if he was about to yell at his mother, but he kept himself under control. He had Rune's respect for that. If she was the one in that situation, Rune would probably have shouted at her parents to stop. Not that her parents are still around, anyway.

"Thank you the wonderful tea and thank you again for having me over.." Rune said as she climbed up her carriage to return home. The Phantomhive household – including Elizabeth – stood at the pavement to see her off.

"It was our pleasure," Rachel smiled. "Come here again whenever you feel like it, alright?"

Rune nodded and Asmodeus closed the door. The demon then climbed onto the driver's seat and took the reins. With few yanks, they went on their way.

Rune kept staring into the horizon in silence as she rode. She couldn't help thinking about Ciel and Elizabeth's engagement. In fact, she had the strongest desire to ruin it, as cruel and undignified it seems.

She shook her head wildly, making Levianthan raise a curious eyebrow. Rune wasn't going to let something like this mess with her thoughts. There are still other people out there, right?

"Anything wrong, Young Mistress?" Levianthan sounded as if she was holding back a laugh.

"..It's nothing."

"..Are you.. jealous of that blond girl for being engaged to Ciel Phantomhive?"

The mistress turned to face her. "How did-"

"Why don't you just kill her?"

The girl's eyes widened. "What-?

Suddenly Rune wasn't there anymore. She was in her own bedroom, sitting in front of her dressing table, getting ready for something. Rune stared at the mirror in utmost disbelief. Because the person looking back at her… was her, yet it was also not her.

The reflection on the mirror showed a young lady about sixteen or seventeen years of age with russet hair and dark gray eyes*. Rune was staring at an older version of herself.

She touched her own face experimentally. It was all real. And it was also impossible. Just a minute ago she was..

She was..? Hasn't she been sitting there for the past ten minutes or so? Rune couldn't make it out. Her head hurt like hell when she tried to recall. Everything seemed wrong, as if…

"…Young Mistress?" A few knocks sounded on her door, nearly scaring the living daylights out of her. It was Asmodeus's voice. "Is everything alright in there? Do you need any help?"

"N-No, I'm quite alright!" Rune called back. She realized she was wearing a gown; an attire she will only wear on special occasions. Rune bit her lip and endured the pain as she tried to remember.

It was the sixteenth of August.

The day Ciel Phantomhive was getting married.

And the day Rune was planning to murder Elizabeth Middleford.

No way.. there was just no way Rune wanted to do that. She couldn't..

But somehow, her body disobeyed her mind. Her hands reached into a drawer and pulled out a hand gun. Rune's hands shook, but she managed to hide it by strapping it to her thigh under all the layers of clothing. Then, she stood up and walked out.

**xXx**

The wedding was held in a church.

Though it didn't sound like it, but Rune thought it was quite grand despite only family and close family friends were invited. The chapel was decorated beautifully; laces hung on the wooden walls, looping around delicate flowers and ribbons and such. Rune guessed Sebastian must've helped out.

"Lady Rune! I'm so glad you could make it!" a voice sounded from behind the girl. Rune turned around. Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive were standing side-to-side and holding each other's arms, beaming away. They looked a little older, but their eyes gleamed with obvious pride and happiness.

Rune smiled. "It's the least I could do. It is your son that is getting married after all."

"Well, the ceremony is going to start soon, so why don't you take a seat in front first?" Rachel asked, checking her wristwatch.

"In front?" Rune blinked.

"You are one of our best acquaintances, in case you don't realize," Vincent winked. "And also a good friend of our son."

"Go on. There's no harm done." Rachel added.

Rune looked at the couple for a moment, before heaving a sigh and smiling in defeat. "Alright."

Turning on her heels, she walked over to the rows of benches and sat at the very front as offered. Not long after she settled down, the music began to play. Rune watched as the marrying couple made their way down the carpeted aisle between the rows of benches.

A priest conducted the usual ceremonies; speaking blessings, reading from the bible and so on. Truthfully speaking, Rune had never seen Ciel smile so much before. Yet, even though was supposed to be happy for him, she couldn't help feeling anger slowly boiling inside her. The envy that she had buried deep in her heart was slowly surfacing.

Soon, everything was over and everyone was invited outside for an outdoor buffet. Rune went over to congratulate the marrying couple.

"Congratulations on getting married both of you..!" she tried to sound happy for them though her heart wasn't in it. "I hope you have a bright future together."

"Thank you Rune~!" Elizabeth chirped in her always cheerful tone – which, was now really pushing Rune to her limit.

"Hey Lizzy.." Rune clenched her fists as she called the blonde by her petname. "Can we talk in private for a moment? There's something I want to tell you…"

"Hmm? Oh okay." Elizabeth turned towards her groom. "Go on first. I'll join you later."

Rune led the emerald-eyed girl towards a deserted place behind the building and had her cornered.

"What is it that you want to tell me?" Lizzy's expression and tone had so much innocence in them, Rune hesitated.

_Now._ A faint voice within Rune urged. _Now's the time to do it. Kill her while you have the chance._

Rune's hand moved towards her thigh, still hesitating. Elizabeth gave her a funny look.

_Do it now._

Rune was about to reveal her weapon when she heard a stronger and louder voice in her head.

_No. Don't do it._

As strange as it seems, it was her own voice.

_This is all unreal. You need to wake up. Snap out of it._

Memories – more colourful and vivid ones – flooded into her mind. Ciel was captured by the current Lucifer. She and Sebastian had descended into the Underworld to rescue him. They were in the Labyrinth of Seven Sins. And they were facing the Sins of Lust and Envy.

And her vision shattered like glass.

**xXx**

Rune shot up, wide awake only to be attacked with a splitting headache soon after.

".. Well done.." Asmodeus's voice sounded not far ahead of her. Rune glanced around, her headache subsiding. To her relief, she was back at where she was supposed to be; in the middle of an evening tea.

Sebastian knelt down to help her up. "Welcome back, milady."

"…How long was I out?" Rune asked despite knowing how stupid the question was. Time in hell differs from time in the human world.

"Forty minutes."

The two turned towards the source of voice. Levianthan and Asmodeus took a sip of tea casually from their cup.

"A little faster than expected," Levianthan said. "But I guess you win."

She waved her hand behind her and revealed a path which Rune didn't notice before.

"This will lead to the next Prince." she said, a smirk creeping onto her face. Rune didn't like the looks of it.

"Wait.. that's it? We get to pass just like that?" the girl asked before inwardly cursing herself. She should've just shut up and go on.

Asmodeus's eyes glinted a little when she regarded her. "Do you _want_ to waste more time here?"

"Uh.." Rune averted her gaze elsewhere. "No.. I guess…"

"I thought so." The demon of Lust smiled. "Now, on you go."

Without making another comment, Rune and her butler advanced to meet the next Sin.

**xXx**

Sebastian had to admit once again; Rune was an interesting human.

He was fairly impressed that his mistress had actually managed to overcome such strong and intense feelings such as lust and envy. Though it did worry him for some time that Rune might be an obstacle to him in the rescue, he wasn't so sure now (yes, that happens sometimes). Rune just proved to him that she wasn't that useless just yet.

The time taken for the pair to find the next Prince of Hell wasn't long. They hardly walked fifty steps when they stepped into a large space, just big enough for a duel. Standing several meters opposite them was an adolescent boy.

He had messy brown hair and dark gray eyes like Rune's. He looked just a tad older than Rune, about fifteen or so.

Sebastian glanced at his mistress, who stopped abruptly in her tracks as soon as she saw the boy. Rune was staring at him, as if refusing to believe what she was seeing.

"..A-Alex**?"

* * *

*** I noticed I'd never mention the color of Rune's eyes before so.. yeah.. that just came up suddenly.. **

**** Familiar? Check the prologue =D **

**I AM SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!**

**I've been a little busy recently and I really took my sweet time procrastinating this.. orz but here it is and I really hope it wasn't too much of a letdown QAQ **

**yes, I guess I did failed to mention some things and this chapter looks a little crappy.. so feel free to ask Q~Q **

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. excuse my many mistakes.**

**p/s: any hetalia UsUk fans here? yep, you guessed right. I'm shamelessly promoting my recently started hetalia fanfic ^^' It's called "With Every day Passed" featuring America and England. anyone who's interesting is very welcomed to read and review~!**


	33. Chapter 32: Wrath

Rune couldn't believe it.

Actually, Rune couldn't believe a lot of things. She couldn't believe that she actually had such an amount of lust and envy buried in her heart. Rune was positive that whatever Asmodeus and Levianthan showed her wasn't made up. They had managed to dig out those feelings from the depths of her heart. Even now, Rune felt really uncomfortable. Very disturbingly uncomfortable and it was hard to describe.

However, she hadn't the time to dwell on that. Because there she stood, facing a boy with a face that she knew so well; a friend from her past, and the first person she loved.

It couldn't be real. It _shouldn't_ be real. He was dead, and Rune knew that more than anyone. It was just impossible for him to be there.

But despite that, she couldn't help but hope when she called his name. A name Rune hadn't used for a long time.

"A-Alex?"

Rune didn't know what to expect. In fact, she didn't want to know.

"Alex?" The boy chuckled, amused. "That's a nice name, but it isn't mine." His lips curved into a smile and he bowed a little too formally. "I am Satan*. Sin of Wrath."

**xXx**

Sebastian did not like the looks of it at all.

The boy standing before them just could not be Wrath, though he did emit the same aura as the demon prince. As far as he knew, Satan never took on forms other than his original one. Satan never smiles, not once since Sebastian knew him all those millennia ago. Also, Satan never talks without swearing. Never.

But now, a boy shows up all smiles and formal, claiming that he is the demon prince of wrath. What else should Sebastian feel other than suspicion?

"..You don't need to look at me like that, Lucifer." Satan said, standing upright. "I'm very sure that I am Satan and so are you. Just because my appearance is different and my personality completely differs from last time doesn't mean I'm an imposter."

Sebastian glanced at his mistress. Rune still wore the look of disbelief. And Sebastian knew the reason behind it.

"Why that appearance Satan?" he asked the demon prince. "Did you become a so much of a pedophile after these long years that you fancy taking the form of an adolescent boy?"

Satan sneered. "You don't understand half of it." He slapped his hand against his chest. "This body was given to me willingly."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. _This body?_

"My old form was crumbling. Rotting away with time." The demon prince went on. "So I ventured into the human world to look for a suitable host. I was wondering around aimlessly, studying human behavior in the process. But then one day.." he smiled, as if the memory was a fond one. "I sensed an intense feeling that I was most familiar with. I tracked down its source, just to find myself in a mine."

"No.." Rune pleaded silently as she struggled to keep herself from shaking. The story was already getting close to what she feared. "Don't tell me he.."

"And you know what?" Satan continued, smirking at Rune's anxiety. "I found myself face to face with a boy who's not even officially an adult yet. He was tied up, bleeding and looking half dead. I thought I made a mistake until I realized the source of wrath was coming from him.

"I hadn't even had time to speak when he spoke first. '_Save her_,' were the only words he said. '_What will you give me in return?_' I asked, mildly entertained by his character. His lack of hesitation surprised even myself when he answered; '_Anything. Anything you want. Just save her and the others…_'

"Of course, how could I reject such an offer? The boy had all the qualities I want in him. We made an agreement. His soul and body for his request done.

"He described the appearance of the girl and even unnecessarily gave me the directions to where she was. Ah.. I still remember it all so clearly; russet coloured hair. Thin. Alone."

Rune shut her ears. She didn't want to hear any more. Without a doubt, that body _had_ belonged to Alex.

"The human boy's orders were just too simple. It didn't even require me to do the work." Satan went on. "As soon as I saw the girl he was talking about, I knew; she was another interesting soul. There were other demons in the area. I did the easiest thing. I amplified her immense emotions, and made sure it attracted them."

Sebastian thought back. Now that it was mentioned, he and his master did find Rune by following the source of wrath at that time…

"Anyway, enough about the past and whom this body belonged to. Lucifer had given his orders." The demon prince concluded. "My challenge is simple. Win my fight and you get to pass to the next stage."

Sebastian took a step forward.

"Oh no," Satan waved his hand. "This is a fight between me and the human."

Rune blinked, removing her hands from her ears. "What?"

"_You_ have to fight me, Rune Whitefield," he repeated. "Not your butler."

Sebastian bit back a curse (which is highly unlike of him to even want to curse). Rune's emotions were already unstable enough. She could hardly keep herself from shaking let alone fight. At this rate she really would get herself killed.

Satan held out his hands and a long sword appeared in each hand. He threw one towards the girl, the blade stabbing the ground just before her. Satan pointed his sword towards Rune.

"Shall we begin?"

Rune shakily picked the weapon up. The blade glinted wickedly even without the presence of light. Rune glanced at her butler out of the corner of her eye and took her stance.

She had hardly prepared herself when Satan came at her at blinding speed, knocking her weapon with such force it almost flew out of her hands. Rune inhaled deeply, then clasped her fingers tightly on the hilt and parried, sparks producing from the interception.

"Hmm.. not bad.." the demon mused as he went for another strike. Rune blocked and deflected. For once, she felt lucky that Ciel had taught her swordplay all the while when he was with her at home. At least she found it a little less difficult to stay alive.

Minutes passed, and Rune was still fighting. Satan kept on the offense. Rune took defense and only occasionally tried for an attack. Just mere minutes of intense fighting had already left her clothes tattered and she was bleeding from several cuts. Rune couldn't care less about those at that moment.

It was all going well, when it suddenly hit her. What if Satan was just toying around? What if he was still far from being serious? Rune tried to study his face. Satan was smiling gleefully through her childhood sweetheart's face. That alone made Rune falter.

And that almost took her life.

Satan took the chance and jabbed his sword towards her, aiming straight for her neck. If Rune had been just a millisecond slower to dodge away, she would be dead meat.

However, the shock alone was able to make her lose balance and stumble flat on her butt. Satan closed in, towering above her with a smile of frost.

"Looks like I w-" Before he could even finish his statement, Rune stuck out her leg and swiped an arc on the ground, kicking the demon's leg from under him and making him fall.

"Sebastian!"

In the blink of an eye Sebastian was there, holding on tight on Satan's arms and pushing him down on the ground. Rune pointed her sword an inch from Satan's face.

"..You cheated.." the demon prince growled, struggling to break Sebastian's iron grip.

"..Following rules all the time isn't exactly what I like to do.." Rune stood up, never once changing the position of her weapon. She gazed down on him, and hurt flashed across her expression. Fighting Satan all this time was like fighting Alex, and Rune almost couldn't bear it. Having to fight someone she had lost long ago was just too much.

"Let us pass," she said, trying hard to keep her voice from quavering. "And I would not have to hurt you."

"Oh _sure_," Satan smirked like he knew what was going on all along. And he did. "But are you really _capable_ of hurting me when I'm in this form?"

"..No." Rune admitted. "But I've won. You said you would grant us access then."

"_Won_?" the demon scoffed. "And how is this considered a victory when you broke the rules?"

"It was not stated that I must win following the rules," Rune said, remembering the excuses she used to make every time she cheated on a game. "I only had to win the fight, and win I did."

Sebastian almost let out a sigh upon hearing those words. Typical of his mistress to do these kind of things…

Satan stared at the girl, and a chuckle escaped from his mouth.

"You amuse me greatly, Rune Whitefield," he said. "And that's not an easy task. Alright. You can go to the next stage."

Rune glared at him, then threw her sword to one side and nodded at her butler. Sebastian released his grip and joined his mistress who had started walking towards the path that led to the next Sin.

"Hey human!"

Rune stopped and reluctantly turned around. She jumped back with surprise when a sword once again stabbed the ground before her.

"Take it." Satan urged. "My gift to you for the entertainment just now. Your butler has no weapon to use when he's down here, right?"

".." Rune hesitantly picked the weapon up. "Thank you."

"Rune.."

That tone of voice; full of kindness and fondness when the name was said, unlike Satan's. Alex's.

Rune's gaze shot up towards him. "..Alex? Is that really you..?"

Alex nodded. "For now, yes. Satan allowed me a few minutes to speak with you."

Tears of happiness unwillingly welled up in Rune's eyes, and she blinked hard to avoid them from flowing out.

"I.. missed you.." she finally managed the words.

"I missed you too Rune.." the adolescent boy smiled warmly. "And I'm sorry."

"..What.. exactly happened? How are you even.. here?"

Alex inhaled, as if he dreaded the question. "True. My soul had been consumed by Satan as soon as the contract was fulfilled, but part of my consciousness still remains in him. Unless he allows me to take over my own body, I remain silent in him like I don't exist."

"But then.. why did Satan-" Rune stopped and shook her head. She shouldn't be asking things like these in such a situation. "I mean.. ah never mind.."

Alex giggled. Rune stared at him. "What?"

"..It's nothing." Alex then blinked, and he spoke to thin air – or at least that was what it seemed like; "What? Already?"

That earned him another good stare. He sighed and turned back to the girl.

"My time is up. Satan says he's going to swallow even my consciousness if this goes on a second longer."

Rune nodded to show that she understood and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.

"It was nice to see you again after all this while, even if it's in a peculiar situation like this." Alex added before perking up. "Oh and before I forget, do you still have that pin I gave you?"

"Huh?" Rune dug her hands into her pockets and fished out a golden pin**. "Yes. I've always kept it with me like a lucky charm."

Alex smiled once again. "Maybe it did give you luck. But anyway, I need to go now. Take care okay?"

Slowly, the girl nodded. Alex turned to Sebastian and said. "Do me a favor, demon. Protect her. Don't let her die. And don't let her experience the same despair she did last time."

"..Of course." Sebastian bowed. "I am her butler after all."

He got a crooked smile from the adolescent. "Hmph… well said." Alex turned back towards his childhood friend. "I guess this is goodbye?"

"Yeah.." Rune flashed him a melancholic smile.

"You better get going. Ciel Phantomhive is waiting for you to go get him."

Rune spun on her heels and headed to rejoin Sebastian who was waiting for her at the exit/entrance path.

"..Goodbye.." she whispered, before heading towards the place where the next Sin – Glutonny – awaited.

* * *

***Satan and Lucifer are different. According to wiki anyway**

****check chapter 3**

**Once again, I apologize deeply for my lateness in submitting this chapter Q~Q I'm currently showered with projects and my exams are also getting near, meaning I'm getting busier by the day *sigh* =0=**

**gah... i'm gonna die... *soul flies out of mouth***

**Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. Excuse my mistakes. **

**See ya in the next chapter~!**


	34. Chapter 33: Glutonny

Rune didn't want to cry.

But she couldn't help it. As soon as Satan disappeared from their sight, Rune broke down crying.

The girl mentally scolded herself for being so weak. She shouldn't be crying, she knew that. She had to accept the fact that Alex was gone long ago. She had to focus on saving Ciel now.

Sebastian had no idea how to console his mistress. He was a demon, a creature without feelings. Even when he was still an archangel, he felt no lost when he was casted from the heavens.

Sebastian had no idea how it felt to grieve over a lost friend or comrade.

He watched as Rune dried her eyes furiously with her tattered sleeves before striding ahead, her eyes burning with determination. Rune knew she could not afford to be distracted. Their next opponent was the last Prince before Lucifer.

Beelzebub, Sin of Gluttony.

If she wasn't mistaken, Rune remembered something Sebastian had mentioned before they went to the Underworld. Beelzebub used to rule hell, until Lucifer took his place. If that was true then she had to be careful. Gluttony was obviously not an easy foe to defeat.

At first Rune thought that the demon prince might appear out of nowhere and launch a surprise attack or something like that, but apparently, Beelzebub couldn't be bothered to hide his presence. Before long, Rune was rubbing her arms to keep the hairs from standing on their ends even with the lack of coldness in the air. Sebastian merely frowned deeper.

After many twists and turns and practically getting lost for several times, Rune saw… something. She wasn't sure if her eyes were playing with her or what, what it was the roof of a house with a chimney. And it wasn't just any house.

It was a house made entirely out of biscuits.

The first thing that came to Rune's mind was something like "Oh God. Beelzebub lives with Hansel and Gretel.."

As they approached, the house came into a clearer view. It's windows were made of clear sugar and icing as frames. The door was made of chocolate. The bushes and plants surrounding the building were made of sponge cakes and had colourful sweets for flowers.

Rune's stomach let out a helpful growl. She had been so occupied with her mission to save Ciel for so long, she hadn't realized just how hungry she was until the saw the house. The temptation to pick just a small piece from the huge building grew stronger when the scent of freshly baked cookies reached her nostrils.

"..Young Mistress.."

Sebastian (who had been silent since they left Satan's territory) did a good job startling his mistress. Rune calmed down and saw his eyes. Instantly, she understood the message.

She had to resist the temptation or else she would be dead meat.

Just when the two were about ten steps away from the house, a couple of children stepped out. Both had silky dark hair, green eyes and wore identical clothing. Rune realized with a start that they were twins.

"..Beelzebub." Sebastian said grudgingly. Rune's attention spun towards him.

"What?"

"Hello Lucifer," the twins spoke with one voice. "Fancy having a reunion with this you in this kind of situation."

Rune stared at the odd pair. "Beelzebub's a pair of children twins?"

"Your stupidity might just cost you your life, human.." Beelzebub chided. "But yes, we are Beelzebub. We are one. But we are also two."

_As if that made any sense_, Rune though but wisely remained silent.

"I'm surprised. You actually made it this far." He/They added.

"Why do _all_ of you say the same thing?" The words slipped out of Rune's mouth before she could even think. "Every one of you Princes tells me the same thing every time I reach your territories. Is it really that hard to believe that I'm alive right now?"

The demon prince blinked blankly before bursting into helpless laughter. "They were all right. You _are_ an interesting soul."

"What do you want us to do for us to pass?" Rune went straight to the point.

"In a hurry, aren't we?" Beelzebub smirked. "Very well. My challenge isn't much different to Greed's. The path to Lucifer's castle lies inside this house. Find it, fight me, and you get to pass."

**xXx**

_Alright. Easy. We made it through that bloody cave without our five senses. How hard could this be?_

That was what Rune thought at first. Except that this time, all their senses were intact. Rune could see, hear, smell as well as feel pain. But most of all, she could feel hunger.

Intense hunger that made her want to devour the first thing she saw.

The house could've been a trick. There could be another path somewhere outside. But right after Beelzebub told his challenge, every road in the area disappeared – including the one where Rune and Sebastian came from. They had no choice.

The house was huge. Unlike what it seemed from the outside, endless corridors and hallways stretched in every direction. Creepy pictures of smiling children with glowing eyes hung on the biscuit walls. Maybe she was being paranoid, but Rune felt as if those eyes followed her wherever she walked.

The hallways grew more dangerous as time passed. Soon, Sebastian was keeping himself busy pulling his mistress out of endless pits, pulling her back before an arrow pierced her head, carrying her to safety when a huge fireball chased them when Rune stepped on a wrong slab of pastry on the floor…

In short, Rune was doing a good job falling into traps.

Who could blame her? Her stomach was growling up a storm and it took all her concentration not to pick a piece from the wall and popping it into her mouth. Never in her life had she felt hunger of that sort, not even during her days of slavery. Gluttony was influencing her, and Rune had to resist it.

The two walked for a long while, ending up in foyers, kitchens and bedroom from time to time. Almost everywhere they ended up, there was sure to be candy, cakes, cookies and all kinds of sweet food as furniture or decoration. Rune bit her own lip to keep herself under control.

"..Dammit…" she grumbled, trying to stop her stomach from making any more unnecessary noises as she walked. "Let us find you already you bloody bastard.."

Sebastian blinked at his mistress and couldn't help asking the obvious. "Milady.. by any chance.. are you hungry?"

"Starving like never before." The adolescent gritted her teeth. Mild hunger had usually left her in a very bad mood. Insane desire to devour something did no better.

Sebastian gazed ahead and studied his surroundings. Almost immediately, a deep frown swept over his feature as he suppressed a curse.

"..We've been walking in circles," he announced, irritation building in his tone.

_Oh joy_. Just what Rune wanted to hear.

"Bloody – " Rune used cuss words so bad, Sebastian would probably have wash her mouth with soap for a full month if it wasn't for the situation they were in. Beelzebub was toying with them and they've wasted a great deal of time. Rune couldn't help it. All they've through, all the challenges they've endured, and they ended up being played with. That was the limit.

In frustration, Rune punched the nearest door with all her might. A crack appeared at where her fist landed, slowly spreading across the chocolate. Then it broke into a shower of broken pieces, revealing a swirling portal. Behind that portal was a scene in a castle. Somewhere where Lucifer was waiting with Ciel in his grasp.

All this while they've spent looking for that one thing, and all this while it had been there. The word mad could no longer describe how Rune felt. She was furious. Enraged. And very much pissed off to the core.

"_Eeeh_? Found it already?"

Rune clenched her fists as she turned towards the source of the voice(s). Beelzebub stood there; a pair of twins smiling sweetly like they were asking for candy. Rune could've jumped into the portal right away and save the trouble, but at that moment, she simply did not want to.

"..so is it hard to believe again?" Rune asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Indeed." Beelzebub crossed his arms. "A tiny human to succeed in challenges set by demons.."

Tiny.

That might as well be his death wish.

"..Sebastian.." An angry vein throbbed at the side of the adolescent's head as she ignored what the demon prince was saying. "Kill him."

Sebastian had been waiting for those words. A smirk crept onto his face as he bowed. "Yes, my Lady."

* * *

**once again (yes, again) I apologize for the late update.. my exams are coming soon so my next one won't be fast either T3T so please bear with me for now.. **

**And for those of you who are wondering (and for those of you who are not as well), here's how i got my randomly random ideas (yes, Retard-san. you were right: I write down every random thing i can think off) **

**Greed: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves ( the cave) **

**Sloth: Snow White (the talking trees. you know.. the hallucination she got when she was lost in the woods?)**

**Lust and Envy: err.. i originally wanted to base it on Cinderella with the time deadline but i guess i forgot and made it random instead... ^^'''**

**Wrath: okay, this one is totally random**

**Gluttony: Hansel and Gretel (the house and the twins thing) **

**Anyway. excuse my mistakes! Kuroshitsuji is not mine. **

**Now, I shall hide in a hole before Retard-san comes and bombard me with my mistakes... **


	35. Chapter 34: Glutonny II

There was no way they could fight in a narrowly spaced hallway.

Beelzebub knew that and did the rational thing. He snapped his fingers and the air around them shimmered. Rune found herself once again standing outside. This time, the house was gone and what was left was only the portal leading to Lucifer.

The demon prince touched his twin's hand – who, disappeared as soon as they came in contact. Standing there smiling sweetly at Rune now was a teenage boy who looked about the age of sixteen with dark hair and green eyes – basically an older version of the form he initially took.

"Ah.." Beelzebub closed his eyes and inhaled. "Much better to be one again." He then focused his gaze towards Sebastian. "Make your move."

Sebastian needn't to be told that. He lunged forward for a strike and sent Beelzebub airborne. He leaped up and landed a blow on his stomach so hard, his opponent made a huge crack on the ground where he landed.

But Beelzebub was just getting started.

The demon Prince recovered at an amazing speed and sprang upwards while Sebastian was still in the air. The battle resumed midair as if gravity never bothered them.

Rune continued watching them from a safe distance, trying to figure out Beelzebub's style and weakness. At first, it seemed to her that Sebastian could win without a problem, but when the demon prince produced a long staff from one of his sleeves, Rune began to doubt.

Beelzebub fired a ball of energy at Sebastian, who swatted it off like it was nothing. However, Sebastian's sleeve was burnt at where the magic touched.

This is bad, Rune thought. At this rate, Sebastian's going to burn up – literally.

Beelzebub made attack after attack, not giving Sebastian the slightest chance to counter. Sebastian blocked, deflected and dodged, careful not to accidentally involve his mistress in the fight. Then again, he rarely makes any mistake.

Rune thought desperately. It was now magic against bare hands. Rune had seen Sebastian use magic, but only for trivial things, not a kill or death duel. As far as she knew, Sebastian preferred to use physical strength and weapons.

_Weapons. _

That's it. How could she have forgotten?

Rune felt for the sword Satan had given her that was strapped to her back with a piece of cloth she tore from the hem of her shirt. She grabbed the hilt and drew it, examining her reflection on the blade.

Rune had never been the type of person who cares much about how she looked like, but this time she couldn't help thinking '_Oh God.. I look like terrible..'_

Rune immediately shook the thought out of her head.

_Focus. _

She gazed upwards at the still ongoing battle. Things were getting intense, and for a split second, Sebastian faltered – which, was unexpected of him since he had always done everything perfectly – and retreated on the ground. That alone was a bad sign. It could either mean Beelzebub was strong, or Sebastian was losing strength. Or even both.

If that was the case, then Sebastian wouldn't be able to win, even with a weapon. All their efforts would go to waste.

No. Sebastian was not going to let that happen. Rune _knew_ that. She waited for the correct timing before calling out to her butler;

"Sebastian! Catch!" She threw the sword towards him. Sebastian caught it just in time to block Beelzebub's frontal attack with his staff. Sebastian deflected it and leaped back, using his opponent's chest as a boost. In his grasp, the sword somehow felt warmer.

Sebastian glanced at it from the corner of his eye. Originally, the sword was shaped like a typical.. well, sword; with a double-edged blade and silver hilt. Now that Sebastian was holding it, it seemed to morph into a completely different thing. The blade elongated and darkened until it looked it like was crafted from the darkness of midnight. The hilt transformed into something that looked frightening and graceful at the same time – graceful in the sense of its intricately carved patterns and frightening because it would be held in the hands of a killer*.

Beelzebub's smile faded slightly. He glared at the sword with distaste.

"Slaketh," he hissed before averting his gaze to Sebastian. "That fool Satan gave it to you, I assume?"

Sebastian didn't answer. He would have preferred using small throw-able weapons (like forks and butter knives, for instance) but he figured a sword wasn't a bad deal either. And to make things better, it was a weapon of the underworld, no less. Injuring or killing Beelzebub was going to be a little easier.

He took a stance and adjusted his grip on the hilt. But before Sebastian could attack, Beelzebub raised his staff and spoke an incantation. A red magic circle glowed around his feet as well as the tip of his staff. The spell ended and Beelzebub blasted his opponent with a ray of demonic magic.

At that moment, Rune thought it was all over. But of course, she was proved wrong yet again. Sebastian instinctively raised the sword to block. A wall of energy blasted him head-on, but instead of being incinerated on the spot, he held his ground. The demon sword was literally absorbing the blow, slowly gathering its magic to form a counter attack.

As soon as the last bit of energy was released from Beelzebub's staff, Sebastian returned the blow five times stronger. The demon prince's eyes widened as he quickly jumped out of the way. But even with his speed, he couldn't completely avoid it. The blast of energy hit his left leg and he winced in pain before landing back on the ground.

A tiny crack appeared on the blade of Sebastian's sword, and he wisely ignored it. One thing was clear; the sword had its limits, and he had to act fast. The weapon won't probably be able to withstand another attack like that.

So he charged at Beelzebub before the demon prince could recover from both his shock and pain. Beelzebub sensed his approach and immediately went on defense. Iron intercepted ivory in a shower of sparks. Beelzebub muttered a spell, but Sebastian didn't let him finish. He grabbed the shaft of the staff with one hand and forcefully yanked it from Beelzebub's hand, taking advantage of his shock that was making him unstable.

Sebastian took hold of both his hands and dived towards the ground, landing hard enough to cause the area to be clouded by dust. Rune coughed and tried her best to avoid getting too much from entering her eyes. When the debris cleared, she finally realized what had happened. Sebastian's assault after the magic blast by Beelzebub was so fast, Rune's human eyes couldn't follow. All she saw were flashes of movement and sparks. But now, she knew once thing. Sebastian had won.

Beelzebub was holding himself up just by his elbows with the tip of Sebastian's sword barely an inch from his throat. Sebastian had pinned him down, giving him no chance to escape.

To Rune's surprise, Beelzebub regarded her with eyes full of hate even when he was in the brink of death and growled;

"..Soon, Rune Whitefield. You might think you have won this, but what awaits you in the near future is no other than despair." He paused and smirked to himself like he was enjoying a joke. "Yes.. great despair.."

Rune stared at him indifferently. "Despair is something I have come to live with ever since my days of slavery started. Despair is also something I've come to understand that is impossible to avoid. So.. if there's more of it ahead, then so be it. I don't care about the future. All I need is to treasure the present and make sure I would never regret what I've done."

"Hmph," Beelzebub snorted. "Brave words, for a human. We'll just see what happens then." He grabbed the blade of Sebastian's sword with his bare hands and without a warning, he painfully stabbed himself. Slowly, his body disintegrated into dust and disappeared into the air. Just when the last bit was gone, the sword broke into two separate pieces. Seeing that he can no longer make use of it, Sebastian threw it onto the ground and rejoined his mistress.

For some reason, Rune found herself staring at her butler. Sebastian was never the sloppy type of person as he was always demanding tidiness and so on, but this time, his clothing was tattered and singed. His shoes were stained with mud and blood. His hair, though, was still in perfect condition…

Sebastian raised an eyebrow upon seeing the adolescent. "..Is something the matter, milady?"

Rune blinked. "Huh? Oh, no no. It's nothing, really."

Sebastian smiled. "Should we go on, then?"

Rune looked at the portal, a thousand things in her mind. But one voice was screaming above it all; they were finally going to find Ciel and rescue him. And their next opponent is Lucifer.

"..Yeah.. let's go."

With that, they stepped into the doorway leading to Lucifer's castle.

* * *

***I have no idea what i was writing again**

**I _FAIL _at fight scenes TT~TT at of story**

**anywayyy I'm so sorry for the late update! i had exams last week so it was pretty hard for me to think of proper ways to write a fight scene when my mind was already at the point of exploding... **

**Also, thank you all so much for the 200 reviews! You guys have no idea that means to me! (bet every writer says that) Thank you so so much!**

**Pardon the cheesy fight scene chapter. Kuroshitsuj isn't mine. **


	36. Chapter 35: Pride

A butler greeted them upon arrival.

As soon as the pair stepped into the portal, they were greeted with a familiar demon with turquoise eyes and slick black hair.

"Nathan."

Nathan greeted Rune without the slightest visible emotion before proceeding to bow. "The Master is expecting the both of you. But first, he would like you two to clean up and rest before meeting him."

Going all this way, and it seemed like as if Lucifer couldn't even be bothered to see them. Something in Rune snapped, and she struggled to remain calm. She would've screamed and demanded to immediately see the demon prince in the past, but it was different now. This was a one-way game. Rune knew there was nothing she could do to change things as they currently are.

The realization of just how much she had matured over the past hours(?) surprised her.

So despite the high chances of the offer being a trap, Rune when along with it. Rune had anticipated that the interior of the place would be similar to those or classic gothic castles, but she was wrong. It was just like any other mansion she'd been to.

Nathan led them into sets of corridors and hallways as endless and confusing as those in Beelzebub's biscuit house. Before they started walking, Rune had looked back. She was already expecting it, so it did not really surprise her that the portal they came through had completely disappeared.

Sebastian kept his guard up and his eyes open for any signs of traps. He knew his mistress wasn't that foolish enough to just waltz into a trap like that, and he also knew that his other self was as cunning as he can be. There was just no way he would let them take a rest and heal up without sabotaging them or doing something similar.

After some time, Nathan stopped in front of a room and fished out a set of keys before proceeding to unlock the doors.

"This will be your room, Lady Rune," he said. Rune stared at him, her eyebrows knitted in suspicion. If the demon saw it, he didn't react.

"Your butler's room will be next door." The lock clicked and he opened the door. "If there's anything you need, please do not hesitate to seek for any of the servants."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the hallways.

Sebastian personally did the checking for traps in his mistress's room. Surprisingly, he found nothing. Rune was expecting to find all kinds of bad stuff like an exploding bed, or a bathtub filled with poisonous snakes, or even a knife throwing cupboard.

But nothing was detected. All the more for them to feel dubious.

"Alright," Rune decided. "You go rest in your room. If anything goes wrong… you'll probably know anyway."

"But are you sure, milady?" Sebastian protested slightly. "There might still be-"

"I'll be fine," Rune cut him off. "If he wanted to kill us he would've done it ages ago as soon as we stepped in. Now let's rest while we can."

Sebastian hesitated, but he finally gave in. All these time he'd been serving this strange girl, and he'd still not gotten used to her persistent personality. With a sigh, he turned and headed outside. "Have a pleasant rest, Young Mistress." He bowed and closed the mahogany door.

Rune exhaled and sat on the foot of her bed, fixing her gaze on the ceiling. This _couldn't_ be real. How could there be a rest stop in the middle of a rescue mission?

She glanced around. The room was plain, but she couldn't be bothered much about it. Peaceful yet eerie silence filled the place.

It seemed wrong. Rune shouldn't be sitting there and staring and wasting time like that. Ciel was somewhere in that castle, and so was Lucifer. They shouldn't be relaxing right now.

Then again, she thought of Sebastian. A demon he may be, but surely he too, was exhausted. All this while, Sebastian had done most of the fighting after all and that must've sapped a lot of his energy.

Maybe _she_ didn't need it, but Rune figured it would be best to let Sebastian regain his strength while he had the chance.

Rune looked down stared at her own arms. When they descended into the Underworld, Rune wore a long sleeved shirt that covered most of her bandages and scars. Now her sleeves were ripped off and the original bandages were tattered. Numerous bruises and cuts stretched across her arms. She might not look like it, but Rune was pretty much beaten up herself.

Meanwhile, Sebastian had not taken his mistress's request as an order and he did not rest in the room prepared for him as asked. He stood right outside Rune's doors, keeping watch in case anything happens. He could sense it – his master was somewhere very close, and he had the biggest urge to go get it over and done with.

Sebastian sighed as a tired smile tugged the corners of his mouth. He couldn't believe he actually _had_ that desire to act so rashly. Maybe it was his mistress that affected him..

It was barely noticeable at first, but slowly, the Faustian crest on his right stung. For a split moment, Sebastian thought that maybe Rune was in trouble, but he was proved otherwise when the door jerked opened and that very person looked out.

Rune was rubbing her right palm with her other hand and the look on her face was a mixture of pain and panic. She didn't even seem the slight surprised when she saw her butler just outside her door.

"Do you feel it?" she asked, a droplet of perspiration trailing down the side of her cheek. Apparently, the stinging on Rune's contract sign was getting to the point of excruciating pain.

Sebastian nodded. "The Young Master is very close, and he's in danger."

"But.. where exactly _is_ he?"

The demon pursed his lips. He could feel Ciel somewhere nearby, but only very faintly and it was not enough to determine his exact location. They couldn't risk losing their way in the corridors, either. Things are going to be harder than they seem.

Rune stood and thought for a moment, then without a word, she headed back into the room and walked straight to the window. She pushed the glass doors open and stuck her head outside. A blast of wind rippled her hair and Rune gasped at what she saw.

Right below them was a chasm approximately twenty feet deep with not so friendly looking spikes at the very bottom. About fifty feet right ahead was a tall tower isolated from the rest of the building, and from what Rune could see, there was no way in except for the lone window at the very top of it.

The sting on her hand worsened and Rune winced from the pain. "That must be it," she decided and turned to her butler and cocked her head towards the tower. "Ciel's over there, I'm sure of it."

Sebastian didn't even need to be told his orders. In five seconds he was lifting his mistress up on his back and crouching on the windowsill, ready to take a leap. Rune was too surprised to do anything but yelp in a voice just an octave higher than normal when he took a plunge.

How Sebastian could cover a distance of fifty feet in one jump, Rune did not want to know. She closed her eyes tight and hung on for all she was worth, silently trying to convince herself again and again that everything would be alright.

Rune felt a soft thud, followed by another leap, and she opened her eyes. Apparently, even Sebastian could do leap a distance that far. He had tried the practical way. Every now and then he would land on one of the spikes below before propelling himself upwards and forward.

The sharpness of the spikes didn't seem to bother the demon at all. Sebastian stepped on them with ease as he made his way towards the tower. Rune on the other hand, was gripping the fabric of her butler's coat so tightly, her knuckles went white. She could've sworn her heart stopped everytime Sebastian landed to jump.

After what seemed to be a very scary forever, Sebastian took one final jump and climbed in through the window.

Rune glanced around and studied her surroundings as her butler let her down. The tower must be bigger than she thought, because the chamber they entered was as wide and spacious as the foyer back at Whitefield Mansion.

A cherrywood coffin lay on the very centre of the chamber, its lid off and placed leaning against the main body. A body of a young boy lay atop the frenzy of flowers that filled more than half of the coffin, his hand clasped together and resting on his chest.

Ciel.

Rune rushed forward but Sebastian caught her arm. "Not yet."

For a moment, Rune couldn't comprehend. Ciel was just right there, yet why was Sebastian trying to stop her?

"Let-"

She stopped short when laughter echoed through the room. Next to Ciel's coffin, a form shimmered into existence.

The person standing between them and Ciel, was no other than Lucifer.

* * *

**I'm late, and this chapter is so short and meaningless. **

**PLEASE FORGIVE ME! *gets on knees and bows like an idiot* I'M SO SORRYYYY QAQ**

**My idea scale in currently very close to zero and it takes alot of work just to write some random things out on the spot TT~TT I'm so sorry again!**

**Excuse my mistakes! Kuroshitsuji is not mine. **


	37. Chapter 36: Pride II

Lucifer stood there with a smile plastered on his face, as if he was waiting for them to arrive all along to have tea together.

When Rune finally found her tongue, the only thing she could say was "Nathan is your _butler_?"

Rune might have learnt to control her temper, but apparently things weren't the same for her tongue. Fortunately (or not, depending on how you see it) for her, Lucifer seemed to be in a good mood and all he did was laugh at the statement.

"Yes, my dear human," he said."Though I'd rather call him by his original name, but yes, he serves me."

"Okaayy.." Rune answered awkwardly_. What am I doing_, she thought. _Why am I starting a bloody conversation with the demon that I was planning to beat the crap out of?_

"You're here to save him, I guess?" Lucifer gestured towards Ciel. Was it just her, or did Rune see his form flicker form a moment there?

She nodded. Lucifer saw her clenched fists and snickered.

"Don't worry," he assured. "I have no intention of challenging either of you to a fight. I am only here to talk."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. This was unlike him – Lucifer would never do anything against his pride like that. Sebastian knew him too well..

"Give Ciel back," Rune said. The demon prince regarded her, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"I will return him to you soon enough," he said. "But now isn't the right time. Whether you trust me or not, it is up to you, but your little butler here is currently undergoing some.. _delicate_ processes."

_Delicate processes?_

"..What do you mean?" Rune's voice quavered.

Sebastian was deep in thought, until it hit him. "Impossible."

Lucifer clapped mockingly. "Well done Sebastian. You figured it out."

Rune turned to Sebastian, then to Lucifer, then to her butler once more. "What?"

"As you should already know," Lucifer started. "I am literally the original Lucifer's 'Pride'. My being is morphed from feelings, and is fairly incomplete. After all these millennia, this form is slowly beginning to deteriorate. I will not last much longer."

Naturally, Rune did not understand at first. "So what does that got to do-" Her eyes widened in realization. "No.. Don't tell me.."

"Oh I'm not going to _possess_ him," Lucifer made a face and waved his hand dismissively. "I do not use such barbaric methods."

Rune blinked. "Then-"

"Ciel Phantomhive puts his pride above anything else, be it during the past or in the present. He contracted a demon because his pride was wounded and he wanted revenge. He killed numerous people to protect his pride." Lucifer smiled. "And his current powers as a demon is formidable. With a little help, he could do it. I'm sure."

"..You're making him the new ruler of Hell," Sebastian concluded. Rune couldn't determine the tone of it – whether it was awe, anger, loathing, or all of the above.

Lucifer's eyes gleamed. "He had every requirement there is to be the next Sin of Pride. Besides, I've taken a certain.. liking towards him."

"..I won't allow it." That sounded a little shakier than Rune intended it to be. "I'm his contractor and mistress. I will not allow it."

"Allow it or not, it does not matter anymore," Lucifer smirked. "The process has started. Any interference could kill him."

"What process?"

"..He's transferring his remaining powers and authority to him. He's letting his essence merge with that of the Young Master."

Rune couldn't say she liked what she heard, especially from Sebastian of all people. One part of her felt terrified, while another part of her was just_..pissed off_. They came all this way, almost getting themselves killed more than five times, and all they did was end up getting ignored by the game master himself and offered a room to rest in. And when they did find Lucifer along with Ciel, Lucifer was dying and Ciel was to be made the Prince of Sin and king of hell.

This couldn't be happening.

"Anyway, as long as nothing happens to him – or myself, for that matter – everything will be fine." Lucifer said cheerfully. He waved his hand and a table appeared out of thin air next to him – complete with a tea set. "Now why don't we sit down and relax while we wait?"

No one sat except for him.

"You don't trust me, don't you?" he sounded genuinely hurt, but Rune couldn't care less about it. A million things were in her mind, threatening to drive her into insanity – which was ironic, since she'd managed to avoid that several times already in the Labyrinth.

She fixed her gaze at the demon, trying to decide whether or not his words were true. Lucifer's form flickered once again when he flashed her a smile.

"You're telling the truth," she decided.

"And why would I lie to you?"

Rune averted her attention towards the coffin where Ciel was sleeping in. A faint glow surrounded the boy, making him look almost unreal.

"There's really nothing we can do?"

"Dare to risk it and try?"

Rune stepped forward and took a seat. "Then I guess tea wouldn't hurt."

Sebastian did his duty as a butler and poured the drink into the dainty cups prepared after checking for possible poison and discovering nothing. Rune hesitated at first, but she took a sip. A sweet tangy flavor spread over her taste buds and she gasped.

"This is.."'

"Ceylon Tea." Lucifer smiled. "It's your favorite, is it not?"

Rune stared at him. "But… how did you know?"

"I was born from your butler's thoughts and personality," he reminded her. "Whether he likes it or not, I sometimes receive a fraction of his memories. I'd seen bits of the past year he had spent with you."

Despite the situation she was in, Rune hoped like crazy that he did not see the embarrassing bits.

"I watched your progress throughout the whole Labyrinth," he continued. "And I must say, you're brave for a human."

"Umm.. thanks?" Rune didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or as an insult. "Now that I think of it, many of the Sins mentioned one thing. They told me that they didn't feel like killing me, but they had to because they were ordered by you. If that's true, then why not kill me yourself now that I'm here? Why let me live and interfere with your plans?"

Lucifer chuckled. "Even demons tend to change their minds on what they do, you know. As long it entertains us, we will do anything to get out of the boredom of sitting all day in hell."

"So you really wanted to make sure I would not get out of here alive?"

The demon studied her, as if considering whether or not to answer that question. Apparently, he decided not to.

Meanwhile, Sebastian had been silently contemplating the odds of it all being some kind of trap for the whole time. If this was just some kind of peaceful meeting, then why had his and his mistress's Faustian symbol hurt earlier? He then realized that Rune must be thinking the same thing, judging by her expression.

Lucifer drank the last of his tea and sighed contently. "Well, I suppose my time has come."

He stood up and walked towards Ciel's coffin, his form shimmering with every step he took.

Then, everything happened so fast, even Sebastian could hardly interpret the whole thing. In a flash, Lucifer faded into the air, and Rune let out a yelp before collapsing. Sebastian rushed to her side, biting back a curse. He got careless and let his guard down.

"My lady!"

He managed to help his mistress into a sitting position. But what he heard after than almost made him falter.

Rune was conscious, but she was blinking hard and her expression was that of extreme panic. Her eyes seemed to have lost the usual shine in them.

"Sebastian.." her voice was tainted with fear. "I.. I can't see.."

A price. The transfer required a price, and Lucifer had taken Rune's sight. It wasn't because Ciel was in danger that the symbol hurt. It was a warning that either one of them was going to experience pain and grief. Beelzebub's prediction was coming true.

Sebastian averted his attention towards Ciel's coffin. The boy was beginning to stir from his slumber, and slowly, his eyes opened and he pulled himself up. He stared at his surroundings, as if confused with what was happening. His gaze fell on the two and he furrowed his brows.

"…Who.. are the two of you? Where am I?" he blinked his single eye and stared at his hands. "Who.. _am_ I?"

Rune was just as confused as he was, but some things were just too clear to be mistaken. She was blind. Ciel had lost his memories once again.

And he was also the new ruler of Hell.

* * *

**I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THE DISAPPOINTING CHAPTER AND THE LATE UPDATE QAQ**

**sorry! I'm real busy nowadays and my ideas are just unable to reach me properly.. **

**And I couldn't think of another fight scene (it kills! D:) so I did the diplomatic approach instead... though I think it ended up a little confusing and boring TT^TT **

**GAHHHHH *bangs head on wall* Excuse my mistakes! Kuroshitsuji isn't mine! **


	38. Chapter 37: Aftermath

A week had passed in the human world since they went to Hell.

Sebastian stepped out of the portal he summoned, carrying Rune on his back and Ciel in his arms, and very much scaring the living daylights out of the gardener who was shoveling snow off the main path.

Finny stared hard when he recovered, unable to believe his eyes.

"Young Mistress.. Sebastian.." he said, his voice shaky. "Is that.. Is that really you?"

Rune blinked, but her gaze was unfocused. "That voice.. Finny?"

_That voice?_

"Milady.. what do you mean by.. that voice.." the blonde boy asked. "I mean.. can't you…"

"Finnian," Sebastian's voice was tight. "Let's not let the Young Mistress and Master freeze out here. Go inside and I'll explain things."

Finny got the tone of his voice and obeyed. "Maylene and Bard are both in the kitchen.." he said as they went inside. The butler nodded, but he did not go there. Instead, he walked straight to the sleeping quarters.

Rune had passed out from exhaustion on the way home. Ciel was too confused to believe anyone, so Sebastian was forced to knock his unconscious and carry him back. Sebastian settled his mistress in her chamber first, then only his master. He locked Ciel's room just in case he panics when he wakes up and tries to do rash things.

Then, he headed to where the rest of the servants were to explain the situation.

**xXx**

"..I was too careless.."

"Hey, it's not your fault." Bard said, gripping his cook's hat so tightly his knuckles went white. "It was only you against the Seven Princes of Hell. What are the odds?"

At first, Bard and Maylene were so glad to see the demon that they just pulled him into a warm group hug. But seeing the pained expression on Finny's features made them pull back and listen. As they thought, Sebastian's story was grim. They've managed to save Ciel and come back alive, but why doesn't it feel like a success?

"Maylene," Sebastian said, standing up after he finished the story. "Go check on the Young Mistress and tend to her. Bard, cook something light for us. And make sure its _edible_. Finny, help Bard."

The three servants sniffled and stiffened in unison. "Y-Yes sir!" And they scattered into different directions.

Maylene found Rune sitting up on her bed and staring blankly into space. For that moment, the maid realized just how beaten up her mistress was. Dried blood stained the make-do bandages on her limbs. Her clothes were tattered and her face was dirty with dust and sweat.

"..Young Mistress.." her voice quavered as she entered. "It's me, Maylene. Sebastian asked me to be here so.."

Rune nodded as she listened to the soft pitter-patter of the maid's footsteps on the carpet as she trudged into the chamber. Maylene placed a basin of warm water on Rune's nightstand and a first-aid kit on the floor. She then proceeded to rinse a cloth.

"Um.. may I?" she asked. Once again, Rune only nodded approvingly. Maylene was beginning to worry that sight wasn't the only thing her mistress had lost, but she kept quiet. Very gently she bathed her wounds and cleaned her up the best she could, constantly checking for signs of pain as she worked. It took some time, but Maylene managed to help her into some warm clothes as well as clean her hair of most of the dust.

The maid was bandaging Rune's arms when the girl finally spoke. "Why.. why are you crying?"

Maylene was surprised to realize that she had started crying and sniffling as soon as she saw the scars. Hurriedly, she wiped her eyes, but she still could not stop the tears.

"..It's because.. it's because I feel so useless.." she managed to stammer. "I let my mistress wander into a dangerous journey without even volunteering to help." She sniffed. "And now.. things are.."

"..You know what? I don't mind at all.." Rune said softly, letting her free hand rest on those of her servant's. "Your job wasn't to protect me in the first place. I hired you to protect my mansion, and you did. You all did. So please.. don't blame yourself for whatever that happened.."

Maylene stared at her. "But still.."

"If there's anyone to blame, then that person would have to be me." Rune gripped her hand a little tighter. "I wasn't strong enough. My heart was too weak."

"Milady.."'

"Go on with your schedule," Rune cut her off. "I want some time alone.."

Maylene was reluctant at first, but she obeyed. "I understand."

Rune smiled. "..Thank you."

**xXx**

The first thing Sebastian heard as he headed to his master's room was the sounds of fists banging on doors.

"Let me out!" a muffled voice demanded repeatedly from behind the doors of Ciel's room. Restraining the urge to sigh, Sebastian headed there and proceeded to unlock the doors.

As expected, Ciel flew at him as soon the lock clicked. Calmly, the butler caught his arms and stopped him.

"Let.. go!" Ciel struggled against the iron grip. "Let me go!"

"Only if you calm down, Young Master," Sebastian replied coolly, but also a little sternly. Ciel stared at him, his eyebrows knitted in confusion as he stopped his attempt to break free.

"Did you just call me.. Young Master?"

Sebastian's expression softened. "Why don't we go inside, and I'll tell you everything?"

In less than five minutes, the demon was explaining things the best he could to his master, hoping that maybe some memories might just return by themselves.

"..Let me see if I'm correct.." Ciel massaged his temples, trying to sooth the headache that slowly developed along with Sebastian's story. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive, and I am the head of the Phantomhive Company – or used to be. Now I'm a demon and I'm pretending to be dead?"

"Not _pretending_," Sebastian corrected. "In the surface world, you simply disappeared, and you had announced your death before that disappearance. So technically, you _are_ dead."

Ciel was not sure he could understand that completely. "Before I 'died', during a few years back, I was kidnapped, enslaved, and then I formed a contract with you."

Sebastian nodded.

"And now that I myself am a demon, you're forever bound to me because of the last order I gave you before my life as a human ended," he continued. "Then we wandered aimlessly around until we stumbled upon a girl that you and I now call 'Young Mistress'?"

"Out of starvation, you agreed to form the pack first," Sebastian said, resuming from where he stopped. "But the Young Mistress wanted to have a contract with two demons. So now, the three of us are bound together under the same agreement."

"You're saying that I have to be a slave for the second time in my life?"

"A _servant_," Sebastian said. "Not a slave."

"Whatever it is, it's still absurd!" Ciel almost yelled. "How am I supposed to serve a mistress that I don't even remember?"

"Remember or not, it doesn't matter," the demon said. "This mistress who you can't recall had voluntarily descended into the Underworld to save you when you were captured. Despite being a mortal and knowing the risks of it, she still insisted on going."

"Wait.." Ciel blinked. "I was captured and kept in the Underworld?"

Sebastian nodded. For a minute, Ciel was speechless.

"..Bring me to her," he finally decided. "I want to see with my own eyes just who she really is."

Sebastian bowed. "As you wish. Please, follow me."

Ciel followed his butler into the hallways, staring all around his surroundings like a curious child. Why does everything seem so familiar, yet so alien? He couldn't remember. His head hurt.

After walking a short distance, they stopped in front of a set of doors. Sebastian knocked, and Ciel could hear a faint reply from behind the mahogany wood. Sebastian opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing for his master to enter first. Reluctantly, Ciel entered.

The first thing that came into the adolescent's mind was "_This could not be the girl I'm serving._"

Impossible. There was just no way that this frail blind girl is his mistress. When Sebastian told him that she had went to hell and back, Ciel had an impression of a tall, young lady that had a headstrong and confident smile and at least a little healthier looking. The girl on the bed just _did not_ fit the image.

Rune knitted her eyebrows, focusing on her sense of hearing. They were two pairs of footsteps. One sounded lighter than the other…

"..Ciel?" Rune couldn't resist asking, though she sounded wistful. Ciel paused in his tracks, feigning surprise. Why does this girl know his name?

"Who…Who are you?"

Rune winced as soon as she heard the question, as though someone had reopened her wounds. "You still can't remember?"

"Young Master," Sebastian chided. "Please watch your language. She is our mistress."

"You're lying!" Ciel said. "How can I have contracted a girl that looks so fragile that it seems that she would shatter at touch? How did she even manage to survive that trip to hell?"

Once again, his words stabbed Rune's heart like an arrow.

"My Lord.." Sebastian hastened to interfere, but Rune stopped him.

"It's okay, Sebastian. I don't mind," she said. "As for you Ciel, he isn't lying. The proof of our contract," she held up her right hand. "Is right here."

Instinctively, Ciel's hand crept to his eye and he glanced at the mirror on Rune's dressing table. Sure enough, instead of a sapphire orb, his right eye bore a Faustian sign identical of that on the girl's palm.

Ciel glanced at Sebastian, disbelief still obvious in his eyes. The butler said nothing as he removed his glove, showing his own Faustian circle.

"The three of us are under the same contract," Rune said. "Please.. remember at least that much.."

"..I.." There it was again. That stupid aching in his head that prevented him from thinking. "..I.. can't. I'm sorry.. but I can't."

Rune failed to suppress a disappointed sigh. "..Then it can't be helped."

The two demons stared at her.

"It's no use forcing you to remember something you can't," she added. "So until your memories return, just consider yourself a guest in this house, not a servant."

"But why?" Ciel inquired.

"Why what?"

"Why are you treating me so nicely? Why not just lock me up somewhere until I regain my reminiscence?"

There was a pause. "..I don't know. But still, you are still someone precious to me, and I just can't bring myself to hurt you."

"How can you even stay so calm despite everything that happened?"

That question seemed to have taken the adolescent by surprise. However, surprise soon turned to melancholy.

"When we were in the Underworld," she said softly. "Beelzebub, the Prince of Gluttony, had foreseen this and warned me about it. During that time, I told him, and I also told myself, that I will not despair no matter what happens." Rune swallowed. "I told myself that. I forced myself to accept the truth. But yet.. why does it hurt so much? Why is it that everytime I smile, it feels like my heart's breaking into a thousand tiny pieces?"

The tone of Rune's voice was so pained – so anguished, that Ciel had no trouble believing that the girl was feeling the complete opposite of what he just said.

"Why is it that.." Rune mused. "Even though I managed to save what's most important," A drop of liquid trickled down her cheek. "..my tears won't stop?"

Sebastian watched as his mistress – for the first time since Satan's territory – break down crying. No matter how she tried to hide it – to stay strong, Rune was still a human with emotions. So many things had gone wrong. It wasn't strange to see her finally letting it all out.

Ciel could only stand there, unsure of what to do. This peculiar girl had claimed to be his mistress, but yet she decided not to treat him as a servant. And according to her, she and Sebastian had successfully saved something important, but yet there she was weeping in despair.

Questions lingered at the back of Ciel's mind. Why was he feeling a heavy sense of guilt deep in his conscience? Was he the cause of the girl's grief?

Who exactly was he to her?

He didn't know. He still couldn't remember.

* * *

**I fail in angst OAO *shot* **

**i finally updated a LITTLE earlier owo phew.. i actually managed this within a week.. **

**and... err.. okay.. how should i say this? **

**We're officially in the last arc of this fanfic. Not only because my ideas are running out, but because it was my initial intention to end it something like this.. so yeah.. owo'' **

**Excuse my mistakes! Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **


	39. Chapter 38: Settling Down

Rune never thought that it would be so hard to adapt to her disability.

She couldn't see, for one thing, and that alone had affected her whole lifestyle. She could longer do many things by herself. She needed someone to lead her while walking. She needed someone to guide her even with personal things like eating or changing. And most importantly, she could no longer do what she enjoys most.

Surprisingly, Ciel had volunteered to be Rune's 'eyes'. Rune couldn't believe her ears when he said it, but Ciel had made up his mind. For some reason, he had decided that since he had nothing to do while his memories were still lost, he might as well make himself useful to the one who gave him that freedom to do nothing.

Rune had decided to learn Braille. Blind or not, she couldn't imagine life without reading. Still, it was harder than she initially thought. At first, Rune could only make out a cluster of meaningless dots on the paper. Sebastian had explained that different patterns of dots represented different alphabets, but Rune was still confused for either her fingers were heavily wrapped in bandages or too blistered for her to feel anything clearly.

Learning Braille was one thing, learning to play the piano without looking was another. Rune wasn't gifted with the talent of playing the piano in the first place. Now she had to guess every location of the keys she was supposed to play – and clearly, her estimation was nowhere was accurate as her butler's. Rune could only get a few notes right – and that was when she tried playing one of the very first songs she'd learned as a child.

The servants stood at the sidelines, watching their mistress slowly and painfully work her way up from the pits of despair. Finny had heard Rune crying that day when he had decided to see her after finishing his duties, and he had reported it to his co-workers. Bard and Maylene only sighed deeply after listening. Somehow, they felt relieved that she had actually cried it all out instead of caging it all in.

The three servants couldn't help but watch in awe then, seeing Rune slowly recovering her strength and determination to live on.

Ciel _had_ to admit, despite that one breakdown and the condition of her body, Rune had an incredibly strong mind. Not just because she was working so hard to overcome her blindness, but also because of the stories Sebastian had been telling him every night since they returned from hell. Apparently, the butler had been ordered to do so.

Frankly speaking, Ciel found it hard to believe that he was so trusting towards the demon butler. He might not remember many things, but something in his heart told him that Sebastian wasn't lying. Also, Ciel was starting to faintly recall his past a little. His parents were killed. His mansion was burnt to ashes. He was forced into slavery.

What seemed strange to him was the fierce feeling of hatred and pride that came with his recollections. Why was it so, he did not know. What Ciel only knew was that those feelings played an important role in making him the person he was before his memories were wiped clean.

"..Young Master." Sebastian's muffled voice sounded behind the doors of the library after a series of knocks. "It's time for dinner."

Ciel stared down at the unread book laid open on his lap and exhaled warily. He closed the book and stood up, heading towards the door.

**xXx**

Rune was already seated at the dining table, her fingers tapping random tunes softly on the wood. Ciel couldn't help noticing that she was starting to look better compared to the last few days. Rune was beginning to look less pale. Her wounds seemed to be healing well. Even her eyes looked livelier, though she was still very much unable to see.

Rune paused and lifted her head as soon as she heard footsteps pounding on the flooring. Ciel approached wordlessly and took the seat beside her. Sebastian appeared from the kitchen carrying two platters of food, just enough for his master and mistress.

Rune sniffed the air awkwardly (and obviously not very lady-likely). "What are we having?"

"Beef stew," Sebastian answered. "A special dish for Christmas, milady."

The adolescent raised an eyebrow. "_Christmas_?"

"It's the 26th of December today," Ciel said. "Christmas was yesterday."

"..Oh.." Rune had been so busy, she'd completely forgotten about the event. Very carefully, she felt for the cutlery on the table.

For some reason or another, Ciel felt obliged to help her, though Rune obviously didn't want to rely too much on others. After seeing her attempts fail over and over again, he reached over and grabbed her hand, guiding her to the silverware laid on the table.

"The one on the left is a knife," he mumbled. "The one on the right is a fork."

Rune blinked a few times in mild confusion, feeling the cool metal between her fingers. Then a smile crept on her features.

"Thank you," she told him.

"Still need any help?"

The girl shook her head. "I need to lean to do things like these by myself sooner or later. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I have to be tended to like a child."

Sebastian stood at the back and observed silently, a conversation they had several days ago lingering at the back of his mind.

"_If it's just blindness, can't you just heal her with your powers or something?" Finny had asked when they assembled in the kitchen for a grave discussion about the matter. _

"_Unfortunately, it isn't 'just blindness' as you just stated, Finnian," Sebastian said. "What taken from the Young Mistress was literally her sense of sight; her ability to see spiritually with her soul. Even if both her eyes were to be replaced, her eyesight will not come back."_

"_Then.." Maylene said. "If it's the Young Master who took that away, then maybe-"_

"_Ciel had no memories of us." Rune's voice was barely hearable to the human ear. All three mortal servants turned to her and stared, disbelieving what they'd just heard._

"_.. he can't even remember his own name," she said. "Let alone the people whom he met later in life."_

"_..Which means.."_

"_Ciel doesn't remember that he's a demon," Rune inhaled. "And he also has no idea that he's the current ruler of Hell."_

"_What are we going to do then?" Bard asked after a long moment of silence. _

_Rune chewed her lip in thought. _

"_..We won't tell him," she decided. "He's already disoriented enough. One more thing about himself – and such a huge one too – could cause him his mental stability. Being the demon king is something he must recall himself." Rune breathed. "So until then, I absolutely forbid any of you from talking about this in his presence."_

_Everyone nodded in agreement .Rune couldn't see it, of course, but somehow, she could feel it. The air seemed just a tad lighter and less tense than it was before as the servants tried to stay positive._

"_Well then," a faint smile played across her features and she stood up. "It's my turn to do things."_

Sebastian blinked back into reality. Rune was eating carefully, and Ciel was keeping an eye on her as he too, ate his share. Sebastian could see the strange look his master was putting on when he couldn't really taste the food, but he knew Ciel had realized that demons could not taste mortal cuisines.

Rune was getting used to a new life. Ciel was getting used to an old one.

Sebastian was about to clean up the table and Rune was about to leave with Ciel when Maylene appeared at the door, breathless and holding up an envelope with a red seal.

"It's an emergency," she panted. "It's a letter from the Queen."

* * *

**First off, I'm so sorry about the late update OAO my exams starts next Friday so I've been really busy for the last few weeks.. OTL**

**also, I'm sorry for the meaningless/boring/cheesy/disappointing chapter TT^TT my brain was wearing out.. **

**anywayyy I won't be writing until my exams are over so please bear with me again! Thank you and sorry! **

**Excuse my mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **


	40. Chapter 39: Where it started

"The Queen of England?" Ciel wondered aloud as he stood curiously next to Sebastian, trying to get a glance of the letter addressed to Rune. "As in Queen Victoria?"

Sebastian nodded as he unfolded the paper. "As I have told you; besides running a company, the Young Mistress secretly works under the Queen as well."

"Just like you had when you were still a human, Ciel," Rune said. Ciel noticed the strange expression on the girl's face, but he couldn't exactly make out what it meant. He turned back to his butler who had started reading the contents written on the piece of cream coloured paper. If Sebastian's expression could get any grimmer since Maylene mentioned that it was an emergency, it just did. Ciel soon realized why.

"..It's the Queen's grandson," Sebastian said, his eyes scanning the paper. "He has been captured."

Rune's eyes widened in disbelief. "_What?"_

"It happened just this morning," Sebastian continued, frowning. "The child was taken under Her Majesty's care while his parents attend a royal party in France. He took the chance to sneak out of the palace while his grandmother was entertaining some guests."

Rune sighed. "So basically this was his own bloody fault. What were the royal security doing?"

"It says here that he was playing tag with his personal bodyguard," Ciel muttered. "He'd ran for the gates without thinking and was promptly kidnapped as soon as he stepped out."

Rune heaved another sigh. "And now it's our duty to bring him back. How do we do that when we don't even have a slightest clue on where he is now?"

"Apparently, the kidnappers left a note, daring the Queen to send her precious pet to find them – whatever that means," Ciel said. "They told her to go to a place called.."

The russet-haired girl's expression paled dramatically and her eyes widened in fear as soon as she heard the name of the location. Her shoulders drooped as if the weight of the sky was just rested there.

"No.." Rune's voice was shaky, her tone obvious with fear. "This can't be happening.."

Ciel tilted his head slightly in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Curse those bastards.." Rune pounded her fist on the wood of her study desk. "I should've hunted them down and killed them when I had the chance."

"Young Mistress," Sebastian spoke up after minutes of silence. "Please calm down."

"..I'm fine," Rune swallowed and said, though she sounded anything _but_ fine. She turned to Ciel, her expression even less readable then before as she explained.

"That place was where I was enslaved. That's where everything started, and it's probably where everything is going to end."

**xXx**

At first, Ciel had no idea what Rune meant when she said it was where everything had started and stuff. But after listening to her story on how she was captured and worked there as a slave for practically half her life, he began to remember bits of it. It was the very same place where they had formed their contract. No wonder Rune gave such a reaction.

"They're killing two birds with one stone," Rune's eyebrows were furrowed with annoyance. Just the thought of it all made her mad. "They're trying to lure me out and kidnap Queen Victoria's grandson at the same time."

"But it's impossible!" Finny blurted out. The three other servants were too called to join the discussion on the rescue mission. "You won't stand a chance in your condition! They probably have loads and loads of buff guards and traps and weapons and-"

"And that's why I called all of you here," Rune said calmly. "I need all the help I can get. No one other than the Whitefield household knows of my trip to hell. Furthermore, these are direct orders from the Queen herself. I have no choice but to obey her wishes."

"Still-"

"Besides.. I'd probably won't have to serve her any longer after this.." that was said in a tone barely as loud as a whisper, but her mortal servants managed to catch just the last few words – which was more than enough.

"..serve any longer.." Maylene repeated, then realization hit her. "Young Mistress.. don't tell us that.."

Rune nodded, a tint of sadness in her smile. "The ones who are taking custody of the Queen's grandson are the very same people who captured me years ago. If I manage to kill them and take my revenge, my contract with Ciel and Sebastian will be fulfilled." Rune inhaled. "My soul will then be used to quench the hunger of two demons who served me and aided me."

Those words earned her disbelieving stares and gaping mouths.

"So," Rune tried to sound upbeat as she changed the subject, though her voice almost quavered. "Here's what we're going to do."

**xXx**

Rune stood in front of a rundown coal mine, her hands clenched tightly in fists.

Nobody could blame her. To return to a place that you've been enslaved since you were a child, well, that needed a lot of courage. Rune just barely had that much.

Rune couldn't decide whether or not to feel lucky that she was blind. Part of her felt relieved that she needn't see the things that could bring back traumatic nightmares that had sometimes haunted her, yet part of her wanted to see them and recall the memories of the little bittersweet moments she had spent there with Alex.

The thought of Alex made her blood boil. _It's their fault that Alex died_, she reminded herself. _And it's also their fault that we suffered so…_

"…is something wrong?" Ciel's voice yanked her back into reality. Rune blinked and uncurled her fists.

"..No. I'm alright," she exhaled. "Anyway, you guys remember the plan?"

The whole household – including Bard, Finny and Maylene – nodded grimly. There was a slight pause, then it hit them that their mistress was now blind.

"Y-Yeah.." Bard stumbled, mentally yelling at himself for goofing up before everything had even started.

Despite the situation, Rune couldn't help but crack a smile. She'd guessed something like that would happen, knowing those three. Still, the moment did not last long.

She took a deep breath. "Let's do this then."

The three servants scattered into their positions as planned. Ciel led Rune into the crumbling entrance, Sebastian tailing behind as the bodyguard. There was barely enough moonlight to provide enough illumination, but being demons, that wasn't much of a problem. Ciel and Sebastian had no trouble seeing everything down to every last detail.

Rune took in the musty scent of the rotting wood as she walked on. It was stupid, but Rune could've sworn she could still hear the clanking of tools and shackles echoing in the darkness. As well as the yelling of the guards, the sobs of younger children who were too young to know anything..

Rune shook her head. She'd freed everyone there. That place is now nothing but a big rotting pile of wood. A _very_ big rotting pile of wood, to be exact.

Rune kept walking, listening to the rhythm of their shoes on the stone floor. '_This is strange.._' she thought. '_We've been walking for some time now.._'

As if on cue to her doubt, a muffled cry sounded from somewhere nearby.

"Two rooms from where we are," Ciel confirmed, seeing the faint candlelight.

"Take me there."

Together, the trio sneaked closer. The sounds grew louder. There was a thud. Then harsh whispering of a man. Rune stood just outside with her butlers, their backs flat on the wall next to the entrance.

Sebastian was about to volunteer to finish the work, but the words got stuck in his throat when Rune marched right in.

Rune heard a bullet click into place right next to her ear.

"So you've come," a voice purred. "It has been awhile, Rune Whitefield. We've been waiting for you."

* * *

**I shall proudly announce that I am not dead :D I SURVIVED WORLD WAR VI (aka her finals)**

***cough* aherm. so, onto my usual self-criticism:**

**this chapter is short. this chapter, again, is meaningless (?) and probably bland ._. also, I ignored Sebby orzll **

**I'M SO SORRY FOR THOSE MENTIONED ABOVE QAQ**

**excuse my many many mistakes. Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

**Thank you so much to those who actually waited for this update Q~Q for you guys not to give up waiting and reading, that really means alot to me T~T **


	41. Chapter 40: Where it ends

Rune bit down hard on her lower lip and forced herself to stay calm.

It wasn't easy to do so with a gun pointed at your head, that she could tell you. Rune could hardly stop her legs from shaking.

She took in a deep breath. Sebastian and Ciel were still outside. She could feel their anxiety to burst in before there could be any bloodshed.

_Not yet_, she thought, hoping they could hear it. Judging by the lift in mood, Rune was convinced that she succeeded. _Wait for my word._

"Hmm?" one of the two men stepped in front of her and waved his hand before her face. "No wonder she had such a blank stare!" he bellowed in laughter. "Our little slave's blind!"

Rune gritted her teeth. _Calm down_, she told herself. "Whether or not I'm blind does not concern you. And I am no longer _your_ puny slave."

The men snorted. "Cocky, aren't we?"

"Return the Queen's grandson," Rune said. "And save me the trouble of killing you."

"Did you hear that Simon?" the one aiming his gun at her – and whom Rune came to identify from voice and memory as Harold – chuckled in amusement. His tone turned serious. "The Queen should know better than to send a sightless 'black cat' to rescue her dear little grandson."

"Almost seems like an insult, eh Harold?" Simon shared the joke. Rune heard a groan somewhere about a few feet in front of her.

"Not dead yet?" Simon whined. "And I thought that you royal brats are nothing but wimps that die easily."

Some muffled sounds. Rune figured he was gagged. It was harder than she thought – to face a couple of criminals without even knowing what she was actually facing. The Faustian circle on her right palm tingled. That wasn't a good sign. If her butlers could sense trouble coming, that _definitely_ wasn't a good sign.

"Let him go," Rune managed to blurt out. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."

"And what do you know?" Harold dug his gun on the base on the adolescent's neck. Rune tried her hardest not to flinch. "We have the brat here. And we have you here. Two of the people important to the royal fool. Do you know what this means?"

_Frankly, I don't give a damn_, Rune wanted to say, but wisely decided against it and kept her mouth shut.

"We'll be rich in no time!" the man answered himself. "Queen Victoria would probably do anything to make sure the two of you are safe. We'll ask for a huge ransom and she won't even think twice before handing it over to us! Imagine what we would get if we asked for a ransom so huge that she would need to give the royal crown to pay!"

"You guys are stupid." This time Rune couldn't contain herself. "Did you really think that Queen Victoria is an idiot?"

"What was that brat?" Rune could hear the clumsy shifting of Simon's feet as he struggled to restrain himself from lunging at her.

"Her Majesty has no idea whatsoever that I'm taken of my ability to see," Rune stated simply. "I received her orders by letter, not face to face. Now let's stop this meaningless talk and let me get this over and done with."

Silence. Rune was almost wondering if she was dead without her realizing when she heard yet another set of brute laughter.

"_Over and done with_? Harold roared. "We killed your parents. We took your freedom. And you want us to believe that revenge isn't something you yearn for?"

Rune's clenched her fists as she attempted to cage her anger in.

"Admit it Rune Whitefield," the man taunted. "Just hearing our voices makes you mad beyond words. You took over the title of the Queen's 'Black Cat' from that despicable Lynn just so you can find us to avenge yourself and your parents."

"You can call me whatever names you want," Rune gritted her teeth. "But don't you dare talk about my mother that way."

"Please!" Simon did a really bad impersonation of a female voice in falsetto. "Kill us if you want, but don't hurt my daughters!" He burst out laughing. "That was the best day of my life! You should've seen their faces as they pleaded with us. I wished I took a picture then."

That's it. That was the limit. Rune couldn't stand it anymore. They were the cause of so much suffering, and they were laughing about it.

"You two are dead." Rune's voice was impossibly soft, but dead serious.

Still laughing, Harold had just enough time to ask, "Did you say something, little slave?"

And the candlelight flickered off, letting darkness engulf them.

**xXx**

Sebastian waited for what seemed to be eternity outside, waiting for his mistress's further orders.

Ciel stood next to him, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his own palm. Sebastian figured his memories were beginning to return bit by bit. That was clear when Ciel agreed to be Rune's bodyguard on this mission. He'd remember the conditions of their contract.

"Hey, Sebastian.." Ciel whispered suddenly, breaking the silence. He flexed his fingers, and a very small ball of flame – barely emitting any light – danced across his palm.

"Yes?" Sebastian blinked at his master's action.

"The Young Mistress.." Ciel closed his palm, extinguishing the flame. "What kind of person is she, actually?"

".." Sebastian had to consider his choice of words to describe the girl. "Interesting, might be a way of putting it. Unpredictable might be better to use."

Ciel glared at him, silently urging him to continue.

"The Young Mistress," Sebastian continued. "Most of time, she just charges into a situation without thinking despite all the planning she does before it all happens. She's reckless, I would say."

"And she also seems kind," Ciel unconsciously muttered. He realized his embarrassing statement when he saw his butler's face – Sebastian was trying hard to suppress his smile and keep a straight face.

Ciel blushed so hard, he was sure the people inside could see the glow. "L-Let's just focus on our job," he stammered, turning away. As much a Sebastian wanted to tease him about the matter, he knew better. Silence once upon fell upon them as they listened to Rune's conversation.

"…killed your parents. We took your freedom. And you want us to believe that revenge isn't something you yearn for?" one of the men said.

Besides the voices of people talking, the two demons could also make out soft groans from somewhere deeper chamber. _Must be the Queen's grandson_, they both thought.

They waited a little while longer, and they could feel Rune's anger building up. They couldn't explain it, but ever since the visit to hell, Ciel and Sebastian could sense their mistress's emotions just as Rune could sense theirs. And this time, they could tell that Rune was about to snap any minute.

"…best day of my life!" A voice different from the one earlier said in between laughs.

_Kill them. _

Until then, Rune's messages to her butlers' minds were fuzzy and barely understandable. This time, Rune's voice rang clear in the back of their minds, raging with emotion.

Ciel and Sebastian burst in, extinguishing the candle flame with their presence.

"W-What the hell? Harold! Did you blow out the candle?" a panicked voice shouted. From what he heard, Ciel guessed the one talking must be Simon.

"How could I blow out a candle when I'm freaking pointing a gun at a person, you idiot?" Harold snapped back, though he sounded uneasy as well. "This is unnatural. There's supposed to be a hole in the ceiling where we can at least get illumination from the moonlight."

"Then why the hell is it so bloody dark?"

"Hell if I kn-"

He never got to finish the sentence. His handgun got yanked off from his grip and an inhumane force pushed him to the ground, next to his partner – or at least he thought so. The figure next to him was crumpled to a lump, unmoving.

The candlelight flickered back on, revealing the presence of Ciel and Sebastian. Fear surged through the man as the glanced around, unable to comprehend what he saw. Simon laid motionless beside him, his expression frozen with his eyes wide. A boy and a man dressed in butler uniforms stood behind Rune, their eyes glowing maliciously.

Rune breathed in and took a step forward. Her hand reached for the gun hidden in her back pockets. Rune pointed it straight forward, secretly hoping that she wasn't off target. _That would be just great. _

"Y-You..!" Harold stumbled as he tried to stand back up. "You planned this all!"

Rune smirked. "I told you the Queen wasn't stupid. Did you think she was foolish enough send someone incapable to save a member of her family?"

"Go to hell!"

"I've already been there and back," Rune said calmly. "And I definitely won't be going there again."

And the sounds of a gunshot echoed through the empty caverns of the abandoned mine.

* * *

**I'm finally on time (kinda) :D **

**No, this ain't the last chapter yet. Maybe just two chapters more lol**

**anyway, what do you guys want as the ending? a sad one? a happy one? a not-so sad yet not-happy-either one? PM me (yes, PRIVATE MESSAGE. NOT REVIEW) for your suggestions! :D**

**kuroshitsuji isn't mine. excuse my mistakes. Thanks for reading~**


	42. Chapter 41: Two Days

The Queen's grandson's attitude immediately made Rune question her decision on agreeing to accept the mission.

Ciel had put out his consciousness as soon as they entered the chamber to save a whole lot of explaining later on. But that didn't stop him from making 'whining' his first activity as soon as he woke up.

"Ow ow _owwww_," he said as Ciel helped him stand up. "What took you people so long? I almost died there!"

"We came as soon as we can," Rune tried her best to stay calm and resist the urge of slapping the boy. "At least you're safe now.. uh.. what's your name?"

"Young Mistress," Sebastian chided right away. "Your manners."

"What?" Then Rune remembered; the person they were assigned to rescue was the Queen's grandson. Royalty. "Oops."

"Well?" The prince crossed his arms.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to apologize? Or shall I just tell Grandmother about your rudeness and hang you for it?"

Just to shut him up, Rune thought. "..I apologize for everything, _Your Highness_."

The words 'Your Highness' left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Hmph," the prince turned up his nose. "You better. Did you see what they did to me?"

"I'm blind, so I did not."

That straightforward answer took him by surprise. The young prince opened his mouth to say something, but wavered at the last moment.

"…John," he mumbled as they made their way out.

Rune tilted her head. "Sorry?"

"John," the prince repeated. "That's my name."

"I'm Rune," Rune said in response. "Rune Whitefield. Her Highness's Black Cat. "

The only sounds after that were their footsteps on the cold stone floor. The smell of decaying wood wafted in the air, this time mixed with the faint scent of blood. Rumbling sounds echoed in the distance.

John tentatively touched his own stomach and winced. "…You should've at least came before they started kicking me.." he mumbled.

Ciel couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Hey," he said. The prince turned towards him.

"What?"

Ciel nodded towards Rune's direction. "If you think you got it bad, take a look at your savior."

John didn't get him at first. He stared the blind girl walking ahead, wondering what the servant boy meant.

Rune's sleeves shifted as she walked, revealing the bandaging on both her arms. Scars and bruises covered parts of her skin which weren't concealed by cloth.

"…_Whoa_.." was all he managed to blurt out. He kept quiet after that.

Rune didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation. A million things swirled in her mind. Her contract was fulfilled, and Rune couldn't help feeling afraid of what's going to happen after that.

Bard, Maylene and Finny were waiting for them outside, each hefting a weapon in hand. Splattered blood stained their clothes. They looked strangely calm despite the raging weather.

"Young Mistress!" Finny beamed when he saw them exiting, though his bright green eyes show a different emotion. Rune smiled back at him, cringing when the blizzard hit her.

"We're back," she said. "How long did we make you three wait?"

"Not that long, actually," Bard shrugged. "We just finished our job minutes ago."

"Your jobs?" John stared at them. "You mean those rumbling sounds were you people?"

All three servants regarded the prince.

"The Queen's grandson," Rune said.

"Don't bother," John said before anyone could react. "Just get me out of this insane weather."

In no time, they were back in the main road and heading to the Whitefield Mansion. Rune had decided not to take the prince back to the palace just yet – not in such weather anyway. Rune figured the horses could barely even make it to her home without freezing to death.

Unfortunately, John wasn't too happy with that decision. He scowled at the girl the whole way – not that Rune could see it anyway. The young prince was also getting a little unnerved under the stares of the two strange butlers. Was it just him, or their eyes seemed to glow unnaturally in the darkness? And those three others.. John was sure that there were at least 30 other men including those Rune killed. Did just the three of them manage take out take much people?

Every one of the Whitefield household was mysterious, that he could believe without doubt. What bothered him most though, was Rune herself. He'd heard of his grandmother's 'pets' from relatives and guests, but John had just taken them as rumors. He had never thought that it was indeed a fact and one of them would be an adolescent not much older than himself.

Heavy silence hung in the air. Rune fiddled half-heartedly with the hem of her coat, her gray eyes unfocused. Ciel stared out the window, watching the blizzard raging outside. He couldn't help wondering: now that this 'contract' of theirs is completed, what would happen next? What _should_ happen next?

The carriage came to a halt. The door opened and Sebastian looked in. "We're here," he announced.

"After you two," Rune said. Prince John got down first, followed by Ciel and Rune. The young prince's mouth hung agape as soon as he looked up.

"_This could not be owned by one single adolescent girl_," was the first thing that came into his mind. It wasn't nearly as big as the royal palace, of course, but it still seemed unlikely that it all belonged to a single orphan.

"Sebastian," Rune ordered. Then she remembered: who is she to order anyone about right now?

"…Show Prince John to his room and get a hot bath ready for him," she said after a moment of hesitation.

"Understood." Sebastian did not seem to mind. He turned to the young prince and smiled. "Please follow me, Your Highness."

"Ciel," Rune said after the two had gone. "Go with the others to the kitchen and find something to eat first. All of you must be hungry."

Ciel nodded. "What about you?"

Rune hesitated again. "I.. need some time alone to.. think."

"I'll guide you to your study then," Ciel offered. He then nodded towards the others – who, got his message and promptly made their way to the kitchen as originally asked.

Ciel took his mistress's hand and guided her up the stairs and into the familiar corridor that led to the study. He noticed that Rune was quieter than usual that day, but he figured there was more to it than exhaustion. Rather, he knew a little _too_ well.

A deep sigh escaped Rune's lips as soon as she sank down on her chair. Ciel stood there, unmoving. Rune soon realized that and raised an eyebrow.

"Not hungry?" she asked, despite the obvious answer she knew she was going to receive.

"I'm a demon," Ciel said. "Human food doesn't seem to be able.."

"To quench your hunger?" Rune ended the sentence for him. "Our contract is done. My soul is yours and Sebastian's to take."

Silence. Ciel honestly did not know what to say.

"Hey.. Ciel.." Rune spoke up after a while, but her voice was hinted with fear – pleading, even. "I know it's selfish to ask, but.." she trailed off.

"But..?" Ciel urged her to go on. Rune shifted her weight, her eyes focused downwards on the floor as if not willing to meet her butler's – which, is pretty much what she wanted to do if she could see.

"..Two days," she managed to blurt out at last. "I know this is a selfish request, but please, just give me two more days before you take my soul."

Ciel stared at her. An unfamiliar emotion tugged his heart. Was it pity? Or perhaps.. _disgust_? He did not know. He was never keen when it came to things like these anyway.

Rune wanted to mentally strangle herself for saying such things. Who was she to ask? Wasn't she the one who had so willingly made the offer in the first place? Why was she hesitating now of all times?

But it had never occurred to her until then. She'd actually dreaded this day ever since the contract was made. Rune was scared – afraid, of how it would actually feel to have your soul eaten. Is it going to hurt? Is her existence going to be wiped clean just like that? Going back to hell and suffering eternal punishment suddenly didn't seem so bad.

"..Alright."

Rune perked up. "Huh?"

"As you wish," Ciel said. "I'll tell Sebastian about it."

He did not mention the fact that he too, needed some time to sort out some things.

"Thank you Ciel," It took Rune all her willpower not to break into tears of relief. "And I'm sorry."

**xXx**

Rune stood in front of the palace gates with Ciel by her side. Sebastian was somewhere nearby, waiting in the driver's seat of their carriage.

"Hey.. um.." John blushed and stammered. "Thank you for.. everything."

Rune beamed. The brat wasn't so bad once you know him after all. "You're welcome – though, I'm pretty sure my hospitality was not nearly as good as those of the palace."

"Hmph," John crossed his arms, but he couldn't hide the smile spreading across his lips. "So.. I guess this is goodbye?"

Rune nodded. "Oh, by the way, I apologize for sounding a little improper for asking this from a prince, but could you do me a little favor, Prince John?"

"What is it?"

The russet-haired girl's expression turned a little sad, but John did not notice it. "Tell Her Highness that.. that Rune Whitefield is grateful for everything that she had done for her."

John raised an eyebrow, but did not question anything. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." He grinned childishly. "Goodbye!" He turned and ran towards the palace grounds.

"..Thank you." Rune whispered under her breath. "And I hope you live a long life, Prince John."

"Young Mistress," Ciel spoke up. Rune took in a breath.

"I got it," she said. "I've only got two days left to live." She felt for her butler's hand and gripped it tightly. "We've got work to do."

* * *

**Edit: edited some stuff after re-reading this out of boredom (and narcissism /shot) ouo **

**Another meaningless chapter? Gods I'm predictable TT~TT come to think of it, I think I made Rune kinda.. I dunno.. detestable in this chapter? aww man.. /slaps self/**

**Okay everyone! Next one's the very last! (unless I decide to make an epilogue or something..) Sad or happy end? PM ME!**

**Its gonna take a while for me to write the finale so yeah.. THOU SHALT BE WARNED ****/shot/**

**Kuroshitsuji is not mine. Excuse my mistakes. See ya all in the next and final chapter!**


	43. Chapter 42: Fin

**"TWO AND A HALF BLOODY WEEKS? WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU DOING?"**

**I'm kinda expecting that kind of reaction from you guys so yeah... ^^'' I'M SOSOSOSO SORRY!**

**Okay. To avoid annoying you guys, I'll continue my rant at the end of the chapter. but be warned: I suck at writing final chapters more than in normal chapters. kindly brace yourselves for disappointment.**

* * *

The first place Rune went to was her brother-in-law's house.

House wouldn't exactly describe Lord Matthew's residence, actually. It wasn't as huge in size as Whitefield Mansion, but it was still a big place.

Sebastian parked the carriage somewhere nearby and Rune got out, rubbing her butt that was beginning to feel sore despite the fact that they had only been sitting in the bloody cramped up "box with wheels" – as Rune would put it – for ten minutes or so.

"Damn.." she groaned and thought to herself. "I'm getting out of shape these few days.."

Ciel did his job of leading his mistress to the front door and making sure she did not trip on anything or do anything heroic like that.

Everything went well enough. Rune managed to make it to the porch with the least amount of cussing used. She stood there and smoothed out her clothes, then she stretched her hand out to feel for the knocker.

Rune's hand had barely touched the brass handle when the door swung open and a man almost rammed onto her.

"I'm so sorry!" the both of them said at the same time, completely informal.

"..eh?" Rune blinked. She recognized that voice. "Lord Matthew?"

"..Lady Rune?" Matthew's feigned surprise in his tone. "Is something..?"

"No, no it's nothing that important, actually," Rune said, shaking her head so much that the two men was afraid that it would fall off. "I just came for a visit. I'm not disturbing you, I hope?"

"Well," the Marquis huffed. "I was just about to visit town square for some shopping, actually." He broke into a grin. "But I'm sure that can wait."

Rune sensed the mood and smiled back. "Still, I apologize."

"It's alright," Matthew's grin faded when he noticed the unfocused gaze of his late wife's sister. "Lady Rune.. are you..?"

"Can we talk about that inside?" Rune cut in, quite forgetting her manners. Then again, who would be sane enough to stand and talk in the cold? "I'm sorry, but it's _freezing_ out here."

In five minutes, Rune was seated across her brother-in-law, telling him about what had happened so far as briefly as possible. Ciel and Sebastian (who, was asked to join them later on) stood behind the girl, listening to her half-assed story that clearly did not explain majority of the events that had passed.

"so…" Matthew knitted his eyebrows as he tried to process Rune's ridiculous story. "Her Majesty the Queen ordered you on mission after mission without letting you rest. And that's how you got those wounds?"

Rune nodded, struggling to keep a straight face.

"What about your eyes then?"

"..!" Rune ran out of ideas. How could she explain about her loss of sight without telling him the whole truth?

"I.. uh.." she panicked.

"My apologies for being rude, but the Young Mistress prefers not to bring up the subject about her eyes," Sebastian said in a smooth tone, owning grateful look from Rune. "It's rather.. ah, traumatic for her to recall what happened that day."

That couldn't exactly be counted as a lie. It wasn't that traumatic or anything, but Rune did loathe the very day when Ciel was made ruler of hell. She could still see the triumph smirk on Lucifer's face when he won. Oh, how she wanted to smack him in the face just thinking about it.

"..I see.." Matthew's tone indicated he didn't 'see' at all, but it also showed that he'd decided not to go deeper into the subject. "It must have been hard for you."

Rune shrugged. "My life has always been hard," she stated matter-of-factly. "Anyway," she tried changing the subject. "How is everything going with you, Lord Matthew?"

Silence. Matthew heaved a sigh. "..I'm fine now. But when I first lost Helen.." he said, sadness slightly tinting his smile. "..my life was a mess."

Rune nodded. She knew how he felt. Her sister's death had indeed left a great impact on their lives – hers and her brother-in-law's.

"My company sales took a dive. I was in countless debts," Matthew was getting worked up now. "I had to work late every night to think of this and that. I was lacking sleep. My health was crumbling." He paused and took in a breath, before reaching out to gently ruffle Rune's hair. "But.. I thought of you one day. It came to me that you, Helen's only sister, were left alone after she died. It was like losing your family all over again. Your despair must have been greater than my own. But somehow, I knew that Rune Whitefield would not surrender hope. She would move on even if it kills her." Matthew smiled. "And that had been my motivation to work harder and overcome my troubles. For the sake of my late wife and her sister."

Rune had no idea why, but color rose to her cheeks. She'd never been told something like that before, and she could very well say that she was moved by those words.

"..Lord Matthew.." Rune said, lifting his hand from her head. "Thank you for not losing hope." She gave it a slight squeeze and stood up. "Thank you loving my sister and always thinking about her. And thank you.. for everything." She turned. "I'll be taking my leave now."

"Have a safe trip home, alright?"

Rune glanced over her shoulder, a smile gracing her features. "I will."

Marquis Collins stood watching his sister-in-law stride to the door, wondering why had that conversation seem so final, as if he wasn't going to see her ever again.

**xXx**

"..You alright?" Ciel asked as he helped Rune up the carriage. Rune sank on the passenger's seat and took in a shaky breath.

"Yeah," she managed. "Anyway, what time is it?"

Ciel checked his pocketwatch. "Three in the afternoon."

"Good," Rune grinned. "There's still time."

"Where-"

Before Ciel could finish his sentence, Rune yelled; "Sebastian! Could you bring us to Middleford residence?"

"Understood," Sebastian's voice was muffled from the sounds of the bustling traffic outside, but Rune could make out that much. Rune could feel Ciel staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

Ciel averted his gaze. "Nothing."

They rode the rest of the way there in silence. Ciel kept his gaze focused outside the window, watching the hustle and bustle of the town centre come and go as Sebastian drove their carriage to the home of Ciel's ex-fiancé.

Ciel had a fiancé with the name of Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Middleford – also known as Lizzy. They were cousins and were betrothed by their parents when they were young. Lizzie had curly blonde hair, lively emerald orbs, and a bright smile. She had a fetish of making everything 'cute' though they always end up looking preposterous. Ciel had accidentally bumped into her after four years of absence during the royal ball where Rune was attending. That was when he was in disguise. The second time, he wasn't as lucky. They had visited Phantomhive Manor thinking that only the servants were there. Ciel certainly did not expect to see the blonde girl there of all places.

All those memories had slowly returned to Ciel over the past few days of listening to Sebastian talk and talk during nighttime under the orders of Rune. He remembered the times he and Lizzy spent together during their childhood. He remembered how she had hugged the breath out of him when he came back after his nightmare of a month. He remembered her sad smile when they were parting ways in their last reunion.

Strange. Ciel couldn't remember the reason on why she'd look so.

Before he could decide whether or not to set his train of thoughts on the matter, the carriage came to a stop. The door opened and Sebastian offered his hand to Rune. Rune took the offer and with his help, supported herself as she carefully climbed out.

"Stop!" A man's voice sounded. Rune realized Sebastian had stopped the carriage outside the gates and it was one of the guards telling them to stop. Funny. They'd practically just waltzed into Lord Matthew's home. _Maybe the guards there were sleeping or something_, Rune thought.

"We're here to see Lady Elizabeth," the russet-haired adolescent told the guard. The uniformed man raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Lady Elizabeth is a busy person," he said, eyeing the three of them.

"We're just going to talk to her for a short while," Rune said. "It's important."

"And why is it so, if I may ask?"

"A dying wish," Rune replied straightforwardly. It wasn't a lie anyway. The man glared at her, his confusion clear as day on his face. Reluctantly, he nodded and asked, "Your names please?"

"Rune," Rune said. "Rune Whitefield."

The guard stared at her like she was a ghost (which, was something Rune would pay money to see) and disappeared into the building. He returned several minutes later, breathless and panting. He took in an extra big breath and straightened up. "Please follow me."

They did. A maid took over as soon as they entered. Ciel couldn't help admiring the interiors of Lizzy's home as they walked in the hallways. The walls were painted creamy white and decorated with framed pictures at certain intervals. Intricate designs were carved on the cherrywood doors. Ciel had only been to Elizabeth's home a few times, and that was when he was still a little boy that had yet to experience a twist in his life – or at least that was what he remembered.

The sounds of metal clanking against metal got louder as they walked. Swords. Judging from the intensity of it, Rune could tell that those in combat were professionals. The maid held out her hand and knocked, and the sounds stopped.

"Come in," a voice called from behind the door. The maid twisted the doorknob, pushed, and stepped aside.

"Umm.." Rune mumbled. "Sorry for distur-"

"CIELLLLLL~!"

Before anyone could even register what was going on, a flash of blonde hair and white clothes tackled Ciel and almost squeezed the life out of him.

"It's been so long!" Elizabeth squealed. She gave the young demon one more squeeze before deciding to let go and move on to give Rune a hug. All Sebastian got was a nod and smiled.

"So.. what brought all of you here?" she asked once she calmed down.

"Err.. we happened to pass by this area while going somewhere," Rune tried not to stammer on her lie. "And Ciel said you lived nearby. So we figured to just.. you know."

"Oh." Lizzy's smile dimmed when she noticed Rune's new visible scars and blank eyes. She silently motioned for the person she was just fencing with to leave.

"Rune.. what happened?" she asked when they had their privacy.

"A lot of things, to be honest," Rune replied.

"You're.. blind?"

Rune nodded. Not much later, she ended up telling Elizabeth about everything; from her days of slavery to the day where she'd formed a contract with two demons and so on. For some reason, Rune couldn't stop once she started – she _needed_ someone to listen or she was going to break down. She didn't know why, but she felt that Lizzy was the best and only person she could spill everything to.

Lizzy listened intently without making any comments. Rune couldn't see, but she could somehow tell that the blonde was talking it all calmly enough. Elizabeth might have been childish in the past, but clearly she'd grown up. She'd learnt to control her feelings when necessary.

Rune inhaled to catch her breath when she was done. Somehow, it felt as if a burden of weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. She felt better after pouring everything out.

"Oh Rune.." Slender but strong arms pulled the adolescent into a comforting hug. Rune could smell the faint jasmine scent of Elizabeth's hair, mixed with the slight smell of her sweat as she was caught in the embrace. The warmth of the gesture somehow managed to reach the adolescent's heart.

"I'm.. sorry," Rune choked back a sob. She _would_ not cry. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry for burdening you with this information. I'm sorry for-"

"Shh.." The older girl crooned, gently ruffling Rune's hair as she spoke. "It's okay, Rune. It's okay."

Rune swallowed back tears. "..I'm sorry.."

Ciel and Sebastian could only stand and watch. Neither of them knew how to handle things like these. Human emotions can only be understood by humans, that's what they came into agreement with.

Rune didn't want to look like she regretted the choices she made in front of the two demons, so she inhaled sharply and slowly pushed away from the hug.

"Thank you, Lady Elizabeth," Rune said, trying for a smile.

"Just call me Lizzy," The blonde smiled back, though it was tinged with sympathy. "You alright now?"

"..Yeah.."

"Listen, Rune," Lizzy started, resting a hand on the other girl's. Her words were gentle, yet firm and reassuring. "You're a strong girl. Stronger and braver than I will ever be, anyway. But even so, there's no need to hold back like that."

Rune gave her a confused look. "Hold back? What do you mean?"

Elizabeth sighed, like she couldn't believe just how stubborn Rune is. "Tell me," she gave Rune's hand a slight squeeze. "How many girls out there do you know that's capable of escaping slavery, agreeing to feed a couple of demons with their soul, being the Queen's pet, and putting their lives in danger almost every day?"

"Huh?"

"Gosh.." Lizzy couldn't help letting a restrained laugh escape her lips this time. "Are you _that_ slow or are you just denying it?"

Rune knitted her eyebrows, confusion still obvious on her face.

"What I'm saying is," Elizabeth focused her gaze straight at the two demons, though her words were directed to the younger girl. "I don't have the rights to judge you, but I _know_ that you're _not_ the type of person that easily regrets her decisions. You stand your ground whenever you do something. Remember that."

Ciel and Sebastian nodded respectively, understanding the message.

Rune could feel Lizzy smiling warmly at her, and that somehow helped pull her back together. What was she doing, telling such a horrible life story to a person she barely knows? Rune Whitefield wasn't that weak. Rune Whitefield _couldn't_ be that weak. She had less than forty-eight hours left to live. She couldn't afford to waste any time by feeling weak.

"..Thank you so much.. Lizzy," Rune stood up, her sightless eyes gleaming fiercely. She bowed deeply towards the direction of the blonde. "And it was a pleasure meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you too, Rune," Elizabeth stood up as well, giving Rune one final hug. "Also, whatever happens, I want you to know that even though we can hardly be considered as close friends," she released her from her grasp. "I'm proud to have met you."

Elizabeth turned to Ciel and Sebastian. "Will we be seeing each other again after this? Or will the both of you just disappear again once this is all over?"

The demons looked at each other as if having a silent conversation in their minds. Ciel faced Lizzy and shrugged.

"Depends."

Elizabeth nodded like she understood. Once again, Ciel was surprised with how much the blonde had changed and matured over the years. He could still remember the times when she would pout and throw unnecessary tantrums like a five-year-old child whenever things go wrong.

"Now, if you'll excuse us," Rune said. "We'll be taking our leave. Thank you so much for your time, Lady Elizabeth."

**xXx**

By the time they got home, it was already getting dark.

The sun was just setting, making part of the sky look blood red. The shops in town were closing. Everyone was going back to their respective families; to spend their nights together and so on.

The three servants greeted them as soon as they stepped through the door. The whole household gathered at the dining room as Sebastian went to fetch the cuisines from the kitchen. The servants were reluctant at first, but after some dramatic talk from Rune about how she wanted to dine with them before she died and how her spirit wouldn't be able to rest in peace even if it was in the stomachs of demons if she didn't do anything etc etc, they gave in and took their seats.

Bard had managed to whip up really good dishes this time without blowing the entire kitchen up – which, was a little surprising, knowing him. But because of the heavy and awkward silence, even the best food in the world would taste bland.

"Phew.." Rune exhaled elaborately, trying to sound upbeat and cheerful, just to lift the mood. "Today sure was tiring. I can't believe how fast a day can pass without us realizing it."

The demon servants were emotionless. The mortal servants took a sudden interest in their plates, unsure on how to react and what to say.

"Why is everyone so quiet today?" Rune was sure her voice quavered, but she didn't care. "You're all making this dinner tasteless, you know."

Finny stood up suddenly and slammed his hand on the table so hard, Rune was surprised that it didn't break and collapse onto the ground.

"How could you be so cheerful and calm even when you know that your life is going to end on the day after tomorrow?" he half screamed. Bard and Maylene hastened to pull him back down on his seat, but Finnian was known for his strength. He wouldn't even budge.

"Aren't you even the least scared?" the emerald-eyed boy continued in an impossibly soft voice. Sebastian and Ciel said nothing, but they knew Rune was aware that the blonde servant was dangerously close to tears. "Isn't there anything you want for the future? Are you just fine with dying _just like that_?"

His voice cracked at the last three words.

"..Which part of me looks like I'm _not_ afraid, Finny?" Rune set down her silverware. She bit her lip and swallowed that painful lump forming in her throat. "I'm.. scared all right. I just… can't go back on my words. I don't want to go back on my decisions. I made them, and I will face the consequences head on, whether I like it or not."

"We've already lost the Young Master once.." Maylene said softly, her voice shaky as well. She had one hand on Finny's right shoulder and another holding his arm. "We don't want to lose yet another person that's precious to us.."

"What are you saying? It's not like I'll be gone forever or something," Rune said, willing herself to chuckle. She pointed a thumb towards the left side of her chest. "I'll always be with you guys. In your hearts."

"That's not funny!" Rune cringed at Finnian's tone.

"Finnian," Sebastian's tone was calm, but there was a certain strictness in it.

The gardener sniffled, ignoring the head butler for once. "That's not funny at all, Young Mistress.."

Rune bit down harder. Even Maylene was starting to sob now. Only Bard and the demons kept their cool.

"..I'm sorry.." Rune lowered her head and whispered ever so softly. She wondered why she was apologizing. It was _her_ life. It was up to her on how she wanted to use it, and she'd chosen. She'd chosen her fate all those years ago in that cold chamber. And she didn't want to cry over it. She didn't need to. Finny and Maylene was doing it for her.

"I'm sorry.." she whispered again.

**xXx**

Ciel had extra trouble waking Rune up the next morning.

Despite the fact that her soul was to be consumed by him and Sebastian the very next day, Rune wasn't losing any sleep over it. Or maybe she was, which explains why it was so difficult to drag her out of bed.

After a shower and breakfast, Rune set out once again that day, telling her mortal servants that she and the butlers would be back by the evening before she went. She felt a little more enthusiastic this time, for she'd missed the place ever since she left it.

And that was how they ended up standing at the doorstep of the Church of Gospel. Ciel and Sebastian seemed fine, but the back of Rune's shirt was damp with sweat due to the painful fact (for her, anyway) that she was out of shape.

Just like the last time, Sister Bernadine, the plump nun answered the door soon after they rang the doorbell. Rune couldn't see her, but a wave of nostalgia washed over her as soon as she heard the nun's gentle and kind voice.

"How may I help you, my dears?" the sister said, eyeing the guests standing on the porch. Her brows knitted as if trying to remember. "I'm sorry, but have we met before somewhere?"

_Yes_. _Months ago_. Rune shook her head. "No."

Before any more questions could be asked, Rune heard more footsteps heading their way.

"Are you done yet, Sister Bern?" A dark skinned girl peeked over the nun's shoulder. "We're hungry!" she whined. "And the kids are complaining like no tomorrow."

"Kas!" Another set of footsteps. "Be at least a little more patient, will you?" A brunette boy peered over the nun's other shoulder curiously. "We shouldn't disturb when there are.." he trailed off as soon as he saw the odd trio at the doorstep.

"Why do the three of them seem so familiar?" the girl mused out loud.

"Kas!" the boy chided.

Rune did not need to be told who they were. The memories was still fresh in her mind – the time when she first stepped in and introduced herself, the time when she had to deal with the bratty head girl, the time when she stood in the chapel surrounded by chanting children.

And most of all, how could she forget the head boy and girl who were the first ones to make her feel welcomed even though she had been lying to them?

"Ethan," Rune unconsciously muttered. "And Kas."

Both adolescents in question stared at her.

"Why do you know our names?" Ethan asked suspiciously. "Do we.." he seemed to pause for a second. ".. know you?"

Realizing her mistake, Rune shook her head viciously and tried to look as if it was nothing. "Not really. And Ma'am," she turned to the nun (or at least she hoped she turned the right direction) and grinned. "I don't suppose you mind if we pay a humble little visit to the children of this orphanage?"

For a moment, the nun seemed to be caught in a sense of déjà vu as soon as Rune finished speaking.

"S-Sure.." Sister Bern sounded hesitant, but she tried to hide it with a smile. "The children would be glad to have some company once in a while."

In half an hour, Rune was surrounded with orphans (they were having their meals before that) in the common room. Rune had to admit: all her life – even the last time she visited the orphanage – she'd never experience such a feeling. She'd been tutored privately when she was young, leaving her no friends to play with except her sister. She'd been kidnapped and enslaved after that, making her only know the feeling of hard work and torture.

And when she'd returned, Rune had willingly let the responsibility of running a super company rest on her shoulders alone.

Rune was practically taken of a childhood every normal child out there should have.

And for the first time in thirteen years, Rune was having fun. With other children, no less. Despite herself, Rune didn't want the moment to end. The experience of playing with other children seemed like a distant dream. Being there made Rune's life look like a long nightmare.

".. you okay?" a little boy asked suddenly, pulling Rune out of her thoughts. Rune blinked back to reality, feeling many pairs of eyes trained on her.

"Ian," Kas demanded, her footsteps getting louder as she approached them from somewhere. "_What on earth did you do?"_

"I didn't do anything!" Ian cried. "We were just playing around with onee-san when she suddenly started tearing up."

Tearing up?

Rune's eyes and cheeks felt wet. She was holding a tiny hand in each of her own. Without realizing it, the thoughts that had invaded her mind had managed to break the fragile strings that had been holding her together.

Great. Of all times. Rune cursed inwardly at herself.

"S-Sorry.." Rune released one of the hands she was holding and wiped her eyes roughly with her sleeve. "I don't know what.."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Ethan came up and told her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."

"Yeah!" Kas chimed in cheerfully, ruffling Rune's russet hair in a friendly manner. "We don't care what's with the tears, so save your breath and don't explain yourself. If you want to cry, then just let it all out."

A crowd soon gathered around the russet-haired girl out of a mixture of curiosity and concern. Rune hated it – hated herself for losing it and looking so bloody pathetic in front of so many people. She had accepted the fact that she was going to have her soul eaten in more or less a day. So why was she still feeling such sadness and pain in her heart?

"..Thank you all for your concern.." Rune inhaled deeply to calm herself. "Thanks so much, but I'm alright now.."

…

Meanwhile, the demons were helping with the chores. They'd willingly volunteered, as neither of them was too keen to play with a bunch of children.

As Ciel scrubbed plates in the kitchen, standing among a few nuns that kept fussing over him, he felt a fragment of memory return – and a large one too. He had been to this orphanage before, accompanying Rune on her mission for the Queen like he always does since their contract was formed. He could remember names: Ethan, Kasandra, Laura, and a few others. He could recall the moment when Rune was captured and had her limbs bound to a vaguely cross-shaped panel with spiked chains. He remembered that Rune had almost died that time.

Ciel had most of his memories back now; his childhood, the voices of his parents, his experiences. Still, Ciel felt that something was still missing. And that important something just seem to insist on not coming back.

He glanced up from his work as Sebastian walked in, a pile of plates stacked on his arms.

"Is that the last of it?" Ciel asked. Sebastian nodded and placed the dishware in the sink.

"Hey Sebastian.." the younger demon spoke, proceeding to coat a dirty plate with dishwashing liquid.

"..Yes?" Sebastian had taken his coat off and was rolling up his sleeves.

"The Young Mistress," Ciel caught himself. Rune was not their 'Young Mistress'. Not anymore. But what else could he call her?

He pushed the thought out of his mind and asked, "What was she to me, exactly?"

Sebastian stared at his master, unable to hide the feeling of surprise from showing on his face. Even to him, human emotions were something very complicated and hard to understand. Though he had been observing his master and the human girl ever since they met, Sebastian could only come to the conclusion that Ciel had a certain kind of attachment for Rune, something slightly closer than a master–servant relationship.

""I have to admit my lord," Sebastian said as he scrubbed gravy stains off a plate. "I do not know. That is something only _you_ are sure of."

Ciel struggled to suppress an exasperated sigh. It was stupid – the whole losing his memories thing. It was annoying to not be certain about anything. Ciel remembered that Lucifer had started it all – the kidnapping, the taking of his memories.

But why were they taken? Was it a price for something?

Ciel could feel that piece of recollection trying to resurface, but it was as if something was blocking its way. The memory was so fuzzy, Ciel almost wanted to yell in frustration.

"..I'll go check her," he gritted his teeth and muttered, putting down his last piece of dishware and wiping his hands with a dry cloth. Without waiting for Sebastian's reply, Ciel marched right out of the kitchen.

Rune was still playing with the orphans in the common room when Ciel arrived. The boy leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he watched. Kasandra saw him in the middle of her game and paused to walk over.

"Hi… err.. Ciel, was it?" she said, tilting her head with an apologetic smile on her face for the awkwardness.

Ciel nodded.

"Came here to join us?"

Ciel was about to reject the offer when he decided otherwise at the last minute. _What harm could it do?_ He thought.

So he nodded instead and went to join Kas in her game of chess. He stood over the crouching figures of the dark girl and the brunette boy Ethan and studied the chess board. Ethan was playing black and Kas was playing white, and apparently, Kas was winning.

"Checkmate!" Kas cheered when she made her winning move. Ethan sat back and sighed before breaking into a grudging grin.

"Fine," he said. "You win me this time."

Kas grinned back at him triumphantly. "I _always_ win you. Now who's next?"

None of the spectators seemed to be excited about losing, so Ciel sat down across the board, hardly able to suppress his confident smile.

"Me," he said, proceeding to rearrange the pieces to their places. Kasandra grinned at him before doing the same.

Five minutes later, Kasandra and the others were staring with their mouth agape at the chessboard, Kas's king caught in a check. Ciel casually moved his piece and smiled smugly.

"Checkmate."

The dark girl blinked. "..four moves.." she muttered. "Four moves and he beat me.."

"That's because I probably have more experience in playing it," Ciel said, once again rearranging the chess pieces. "Shall we go again?"

Rune could hear the cheers for the respective chess players from all the way across the room. She sighed softly to herself as she went back to listening to Ian's story about how he'd managed to steal a cupcake from the kitchen without getting caught, once again wishing that the day would never end.

**xXx**

Before Rune knew it, it was nighttime by the time they got back.

Dinner was exceptionally dull that night, since Finny, Maylene, and Bard were sniffling and generally sounding very depressed throughout the whole thing. Rune's throat felt dry as she forced herself not to think of it as her very last meal. Ciel and Sebastian would be having her soul first thing the next morning.

This time, Rune let her tears flow freely when she was pulled into a group hug with her mortal servants. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she _was_ going to miss them very badly – _if_ she could miss them. For a moment there, Rune could give up anything to have her sight back. But she'd learnt over the years. It was dangerous to think so.

They were all reluctant to let go even after minutes, but they did so anyway when Rune requested to visit one final place.

…

Sebastian stood at the back with his master, watching Rune kneel down and tentatively feel the names engraved on the tombstone. It had only been several months since they went to the cemetery, and it was nothing to a demon. But to Rune, it felt as if a decade had passed since she visited, and that made a wave of guilt wash over her.

"..Sorry for not coming to see you all for such a long while.." Rune whispered hoarsely.

Silence. The only sounds were the soft howling of the slight breeze that blew through the night.

Rune sighed, letting her hand rest on the cool stone tablet that bore her the names of her parents and sister.

"..I'm just hopeless, aren't I.." she smiled bitterly to herself. "I come to visit for the first time in months, and it's my last one."

Ciel stayed as silent as his butler, but he could feel it – that one piece of memory struggling to resurface again. It had something to do with the Underworld, its seven Princes, and even Rune's sight – but what was it exactly?

Ciel bit the inside of his lower lip hard, tasting his own blood. He didn't care. He might not look like it, but for some reason, he was desperate to have his recollections back. He wanted – craved, to remember it all before it was all over. Something in him was screaming for him to recall before Rune's soul was devoured.

His thoughts were interrupted abruptly when the girl stood up and took in a breath.

"..You two can take it now," Rune said. Ciel averted his gaze to stare at her. Sebastian did the same.

"_What_?" Ciel asked, surprised by his own tone.

"I asked for two days," Rune sounded strangely calm as she carefully sat down on the concrete ground. "Forty-eight hours had already passed."

Ciel found himself having the urge to argue. _What was going on with him?_

He fought the urge and turned to Sebastian. Sebastian's face was emotionless as always, but his eye's had a clear meaning. _What would you do?_

Ciel turned back to the girl, his attention rested on her purple eyes that seemed to glow in the dark night.

"..Alright." he decided.

Rune smiled and closed her eyes, though it doesn't exactly make a difference. "Hey…Is it going to hurt?"

Ciel shrugged and knelt down before her. "It might. But I can try to lessen the pain."

Rune unintentionally exhaled with relief. "Thank you," 'she seemed to be saying that a lot these days. "And I'm sorry."

Ciel said nothing to that. He reached out towards Rune's chest, as he had seen Sebastian do when he was showing him one of the many ways to retrieve souls when he'd just been turned into a demon. Just when his fingers were about to touch the front of her shirt, they went straight through.

Rune could feel the burning pain as Ciel took hold and ripped her soul from her body. She felt as if her whole being was set on fire and thrown into a river of acid. Her skin felt as if it was slowly decaying and eaten by thousands of maggots. Her bones felt like they were being melted over fire. Her brain could barely process thoughts. Sweat drenched her forehead despite the cold weather. Blood welled up on her palms where she'd dug her nails in.

If Ciel had really lessened the pain, Rune wondered how it would feel like if he made no attempt to be gentle.

The pain intensified and Rune could feel her consciousness slipping. "This is it.." she thought. "I won't wake up again after this.."

Then she heard it: a slow shredding sound like a piece of cloth torn apart. Just like that, the aching sensation faded.

_Am I… dead?_

"Open your eyes," a familiar voice commanded. Rune reverently obeyed.

Ciel held something bright and burning in his hand, its size twice the size of his fist. Rune thought that something was set ablaze, but she soon realized that it was a ball of flame alone. Instead of the usual colors of how a fire should have – red, orange, and yellow – it was white with a bluish tint, framed by a dark outline.

At that point, Rune had no idea what was more surprising; the fact that she could see, or the fact that she was still there in the human world. She watched wordlessly as Ciel broke the ball of flame into two equal pieces and handed one half to Sebastian. Their eyes were glowing demonic pink, not different from the times they were obeying orders. And as if it was a piece of apple, they started biting off small pieces of the flame, chewing slowly before swallowing as though savoring the taste.

"What.." Rune started when she finally found her voice.

"We took and ate your soul," Ciel replied casually, eating the last bit of what Rune realized was her spirit. "That's all."

"Then why.." Rune was so confused, she couldn't even say the right words. "Why am I still..?"

"What kind of Ruler of Hell would I be," Ciel said as he knelt down once again in front of the girl. "If I can't even spare the life of the mortal girl that I have feelings for?"

Rune stared at him, eyes wide. "You mean.. you remember? Everything?"

"I made it up on the spot," Ciel replied, sarcasm coloring his tone. "Yes. I remember everything."

Rune stared at him some more. "B-But still.. I.."

"You asked for two days, I know." Ciel held his hand out hand and touched the girl's cheek lightly. "But I'm changing the second word."

"What?"

"Years," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "You've got two more years before that fragment of soul I left untouched burns out."

So that explains the tearing sound Rune heard.

"Also, our contract is complete." Ciel added. Rune unwound the bandages on her right palm and stared. The intertwined Faustian symbols, the sign of their contract had disappeared.

For the second time that day, Rune hadn't realized that tears had begun to overflow from her eyes. She threw her arms around the boy's neck, taking him by surprise.

Rune couldn't even form a proper 'thank you' without choking up. She couldn't' help it. Though she was more than prepared to face her own death, it was a relief to be alive. She was still there, breathing, crying, talking, feeling emotions. She was alive. She_ is_ alive.

Sebastian couldn't help cracking a smile – a genuine one, not his usual smirk of amusement. Why does he always seem to come across such interesting humans, he wondered to himself. After these years, Sebastian had thought that he should be able to read Ciel's motives even by a little, and he could. But he was surprised by his master's action almost as much as Rune.

"But since you've openly declared that you're going to die sometime tomorrow," Ciel said and shrugged when Rune released him.

"I'll have to be _your_ servant?" Rune guessed, smiling coyly and drying her eyes. Ciel smiled.

"Exactly."

"The responsibility of ruling hell is now rested on your shoulders, Young Master," Sebastian said, not going against his master's wishes but giving him advice and being ratinonal. "The other Princes might not be happy with the fact that a mere human turned demon is their ruler and will commit treason. There will be fights. Hell itself might go into war."

"And I might drag you down and be a nuisance," Rune finished. "Are you sure you want me there, Ciel? I can just stay here and explain to everyone that a miracle happened or something, you know."

Reluctantly, Ciel reconsidered. It _had_ been a selfish decision to make Rune his servant. Bringing her to the Underworld would indeed be risky, considering the fact that they might use her as hostage – they are the Princes of Hell, after all. But letting Rune stay in the mortal world meant leaving her…

"Just go without me," Rune urged.

Ciel averted his gaze back to her. "What do you mean?"

Rune stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes. "I don't want to join you in hell and waste my two years by being killed. I'll stay here and live the remaining life I have to the fullest."

Ciel stared at her some more.

"Our contract has been completed," the girl continued. "There's no need for you to constantly care for me already. My safety is my own responsibility now."

"You don't get it, do you?" Ciel sighed before breaking into a crooked smile.

"I know. It's not about the bloody contract," Rune stood up, grinning at him instead. "Still, I can care for myself. Just who do you think I am?"

For the first time, the smile did not fade from the young demon's features. "You're Rune Whitefield, sole survivor and heir of the Whitefield family," he said, quoting what Rune had spoken ages ago.

"And I'm also the former mistress and contractor of the famous Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michealis," Rune added. "Now go. Go to back down there and do your job. And keep it down there. I don't think the mortals would fancy having their world overrun by chaotic demons."

Typical of Rune to use sarcasm even in such a situation.

"Then we should get going." It was Sebastian who spoke up this time. He wanted to say something more but stopped when Rune pulled him into an awkward hug.

"Yeah," she said, barely able to stop herself from laughing out loud when she saw Sebastian's expression after letting him go. "You two very well should."

Rapidly recovering from his momentary shock, Sebastian nodded and proceeded to summon a portal that led them to where they were headed.

"So.. this is goodbye?" Ciel paused to ask, standing before the swirling vortex.

Rune shrugged. "I guess so."

Sebastian was so amused with the next thing his master did, he would never forget about it even if Ciel ordered him to. Ciel had ran over to the girl at the last minute, yanked her towards himself by the collar of her shirt, and kissed her full in the lips. And without saying anything, he'd stride back and vanished into the portal. After a glimpse of Rune's expression and a slight bow, Sebastian did the same.

And just like that, the portal closed and faded, not leaving a single sign indicating it had ever been there.

Only the howling of the wind broke the silence that followed. Rune touched her lips where Ciel had kissed her so suddenly and smiled.

"Thank you both for everything," she whispered softly before she took a step forward and pausing. "Until next time."

With that, she walked on, not looking back once.

**~Fin~**

* * *

**"WTF WAS THAT? YOU ACTUALLY CALL THAT AN ENDING?"**

**I don't know about you guys, but that's how I reacted after re-reading everything to check for mistakes. I SUCK SO MUCH AT WRITING FINALES, IT'S A SIN. **

**But before you can all tell me about how much I sucked, I would like to say thanks to everyone who had supported my story by reviewing, faving, story-alerting, or even just by reading. Without you guys, I would've given up halfway through long ago ^^'' srsly. So, THANK YOU! **

**And about the ending... remember when I asked for suggestions on whether to write a sad or happy ending? Apparently, 'happy' won 'sad' by one vote lol. though, I don't think this can actually be counted as a happy ending... more like.. i dunno. neutral? **

**Also, not that most of you would care, but after writing this, I will be taking a LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGG break before I will actually start writing again. my brain's dying LOL so yeah ^^' so to those who had been following my other fanfics, I'm sorry, but you would need to wait for a while before there are any updates ^^;;**

**and before I forget, I would like to apologize and thank antitype-blackblood-san because the seven sins thing was originally her idea ^^' Sorry antitype-blackblood-san! Read her story, Robin and Tutor. That's an order. cuz after reading hers, you'll see just how big of a difference there is between an amateur (me) and a pro (her) **

**Excuse my mistakes! Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. **

**Thank you so much again for reading! God bless all of you readers out there!**


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